On Tuesday, President Donald Trump addressed comments he’d made telling four freshman congresswomen — all American citizens and women of color — to go back to their countries.

The comments set off a furor that the president was being outwardly racist.

“It’s up to them. They can do what they want. They can leave, they can stay, but they should love our country,” the president told reporters Tuesday when he was asked about his remarks.

ADVERTISEMENT

On CNN Tuesday, New York Times columnist Wajahat Ali explained how Donald Trump’s comments — and his Republican counterparts’ refusal to call them racist — is rooted in a dangerous white supremacy, or terror at the “browning of America.”

“Up is down, left is right and apparently racism is not racism and we are racists for calling out their racism?” Ali wondered. “White supremacy is a hell of a drug.”

Watch: