When it came to addressing President Donald Trump’s history of racism, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) didn’t mince words in a “Meet the Press” interview Sunday.

“I think this country hasn’t dealt well with the issues of race,” the lawmaker told NBC’s Chuck Todd. “We have a president who’s a racist.”

Noting Brown’s frank description of Trump, Todd paused for a moment, asking him to explain.

“I know that he built his political career knowing what he was doing on questioning the legitimacy and the birth place of the president of the United States,” Brown said, referring to the birther conspiracy theory Trump promoted staring in 2011, using it in an effort to undermine Barack Obama’s credibility.