CORTLAND, N.Y. -- U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney today dodged questions about her comment that "many" people who commit mass murder are Democrats.

Following a press conference about the GOP tax plan, Tenney said she would be glad to discuss her comments "another day." She left immediately after.

Yesterday, Tenney said during a radio interview that "many of these people that commit the mass murders end up being Democrats, but the media doesn't talk about that."

She was responding to a point from Talk 1300 radio host Fred Dicker, who said Democrats protect inner city minorities involved in gun crimes, who account for the majority of gun violence.

Tenney, a Republican, was at Suit-Kote in Cortland to tout the benefits of the GOP tax plan Thursday afternoon. The Cortland paving company announced it is giving raises to its employees as a result of the tax plan.

Following some remarks from a podium, Tenney asked media to keep questions focused on the tax plan. Afterward, several reporters approached her and asked if she stood by the radio comments.

She declined to answer, saying if she did, it would take attention away from Suit-Kote.

"The whole story is going to be about that and not Suit-Kote," she said. "It always happens. Every time we go off topic it always happens. We'd like to keep it at Suit-Kote."

She asked reporters to run her entire radio interview, which would put her remarks in context. You can listen to that full interview here.

Tenney's chief of staff also issued a statement about the comment. In that statement Tenney cited the need to enforce existing gun laws. She neither retracted nor defended the comment about mass murderers, but said it was taken out of context.

"While we know the perpetrators of these atrocities have a wide variety of political views, my comments are in response to a question about the failure to prosecute illegal gun crime," the statement said.

Tenney referred reporters to that statement Thursday.

"I'd love to talk about it and I will," Tenney said. "Let's get the news cycle going for Suit-Kote to get the credit and the employees to get the credit for what they've done."