Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE (R-Ky.) on Tuesday sought to dispel the uproar over President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE’s controversial tweets targeting four nonwhite Democratic lawmakers, but also defended the president by declaring he is not a racist.

McConnell tried to quell the controversy that has raged since Sunday when Trump tweeted that four minority Democratic lawmakers should “go back” to their home countries — even though all of them are U.S. citizens — by calling for a broad ceasefire in Washington.

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“The president is not a racist,” McConnell responded after reporters pressed him Tuesday afternoon on whether Trump’s tweets were racist or whether the GOP leader himself would ever use such language.

Yet in his prepared remarks he also acknowledged that the president as well as the House Democratic freshmen with whom Trump has feuded over Twitter are responsible for letting things spin out of control.

“I think there’s a consensus that political rhetoric has really gotten way, way overheated all across the political spectrum,” he said.

McConnell’s two-pronged strategy, distancing his party from Trump’s rhetoric while also being careful not to alienate the president and his core supporters, mirrored the balancing act that many GOP lawmakers are trying to pull off, with mixed results.

Trump’s tweet from Sunday, which he backed up with similar rhetoric during a Rose Garden ceremony Monday, set GOP lawmakers scrambling to control the political fallout.

A handful of Republican lawmakers facing potentially tough races next year in Colorado, Maine, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona took different tacks in their responses, signaling the lack of a general plan on how to react to the president’s most incendiary and unexpected statements.

Sen. Martha McSally Martha Elizabeth McSallyThe Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' New ABC/WaPost poll finds Trump edging Biden in Arizona, Florida MORE (Ariz.), one of the GOP’s most vulnerable incumbents, let it be known through a spokeswoman that she would not comment on the matter.

Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Cook Political Report shifts Colorado Senate race toward Democrat MORE (R-Colo.), who has a tough race in a state Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonFox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio Trump, Biden court Black business owners in final election sprint The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection MORE carried in 2016, said he disagreed with Trump’s language, though stopped short of calling it racist.

“I disagree with them. I wouldn’t have said them. I wouldn’t have done that,” he said. “That’s not what we ought to focus on in this country.”

Sen. Joni Ernst Joni Kay ErnstTillis appears to reinforce question about COVID-19 death toll The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection Poll: Trump opens up 6-point lead over Biden in Iowa MORE (Iowa), a member of Senate GOP leadership and a top Democratic target in 2020, acknowledged Monday that she thought Trump’s comments were racist.

“Uh, yeah. They’re American citizens,” she said, referring to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-CortezOn The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline McCarthy says there will be a peaceful transition if Biden wins Anxious Democrats amp up pressure for vote on COVID-19 aid MORE (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar Ilhan OmarOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Democrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise MORE (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib Rashida Harbi TlaibTrump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' George Conway: 'Trump is like a practical joke that got out of hand' Pelosi endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary challenge MORE (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley Ayanna PressleyFauci, Black Lives Matter founders included on Time's 100 Most Influential People list Trump attacks Omar for criticizing US: 'How did you do where you came from?' Pressley applauded on House floor after moving speech on living with alopecia MORE (D-Mass.). Only Omar, who was born in Somalia, is an immigrant.

Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power Billionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden Credit union group to spend million on Senate, House races MORE (R-Maine), who is up for reelection in another state that voted for Clinton, on Monday urged Trump to delete his tweets.

One aide to a vulnerable Senate Republican incumbent said lawmakers in swing states are “boxed in” because if they criticize Trump’s language, they risk angering his supporters, but if they defend the president, they could alienate swing and minority voters.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Todd Young Todd Christopher YoungSenate GOP eyes early exit Why the US should rely more on strategy, not sanctions Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump MORE (Ind.) said candidates in tough races such as McSally, who represents a state with a large number of Hispanic voters, wouldn’t necessarily be hurt by Trump’s comments.

“I think McSally’s clearly going to win. She’s an exceptional candidate, a fighter pilot who’s already been delivering for the people of Arizona,” he said, predicting she would present an independent brand to voters next year.

Targeted GOP incumbents hailing from more traditionally Republican states have defended Trump more forcefully, however.

Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) said Monday it was “outrageous” to describe Trump’s language as racist, arguing “of course they’re not racist.”

Sen. Thom Tillis Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisTillis appears to reinforce question about COVID-19 death toll Billionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden Collins: Winner of presidential election will be sworn in next year MORE (R-N.C.), who on Monday said he wasn’t familiar with Trump’s tweets despite massive public attention, on Tuesday sought to defend Trump.

“I don’t think the president’s a racist, I don’t think he’s a xenophobe,” Tillis said. “I think he’s frustrated with people shifting the discussion away from the real problems he’s trying to solve, like the border problem.”

Like many other GOP lawmakers, Tillis tried to turn the conversation to the strength of the economy.

“The fact of the matter is we have a great story to tell about the economy, we’ve got a crisis at the border. We’ve got issues that we need to solve here, and I think this kind of discussion is casting attention away from things most of the American people want us to focus on,” Tillis said.

Trump last month formally endorsed Tillis in his 2020 reelection bid.

Republican lawmakers appeared on Tuesday to coalesce behind Trump more than the day before. House Republican leaders, for example, strongly defended the president at a Tuesday press conference.

One GOP lawmaker speaking on background said he had received pushback from Trump’s supporters at home after admonishing the president over his language Monday.

“I’m getting some pushback from Republicans and getting no credit from liberals,” the senator said of the reaction he got from criticizing Trump’s comments.

McConnell on Tuesday quickly sought to deflect scrutiny onto the four Democratic lawmakers Trump attacked in his tweet over the weekend by pointing to their own inflamed rhetoric about immigrant detention centers and even Speaker Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline Trump signs largely symbolic pre-existing conditions order amid lawsuit MORE (D-Calif.), who was accused last week of singling out female Democratic lawmakers of color.

“I think the tone of all of this is not good for the country, but it’s coming from all different ideological points of view. To single out any segment of this, I think, is a mistake,” McConnell said, defending Trump from Democratic attacks.

“We’ve seen the far left throw accusations of racism at everyone, anyone who disagrees with them on anything, including the Speaker of the House,” he noted, referring to a recent claim by Ocasio-Cortez last week that Pelosi had singled out her and a few other colleagues who are minorities.

McConnell’s comments came after two days of Democratic attacks on Trump for his comments and on GOP lawmakers for not calling out the president more forcefully.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Feinstein 'surprised and taken aback' by suggestion she's not up for Supreme Court fight Grand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death MORE (Ill.) earlier on Tuesday slammed McConnell as Trump’s “greatest enabler.”

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish MORE (N.Y.) on Monday called the subdued Republican criticism of Trump’s rhetoric “inexcusable” and warned they were “making a deal with the devil” by going along with the president because they support his agenda of tax cuts and deregulation.