Washington (CNN) Former Obama White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said Monday that President Donald Trump's repeated racist attacks against political opponents who are also people of color "are intended to silence us in obedience."

"What we said in this letter is we're not going to be sitting idly by. We're Americans, we're patriotic, we love our country," Jarret said in an interview on CNN with "New Day" co-anchor Alisyn Camerota. "One of the important ways that you demonstrate that love is by speaking up when you see behavior that you think is divisive and destructive to our country, and that's what we've been observing during the course of President Trump's time in office."

Over the past few days, Trump continued his attacks against notable people of color by tweeting against both Rep. Elijah Cummings and Rev. Al Sharpton . The President notably called Baltimore, which Cummings represents, a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess." Jarrett also the noted the correlation between those who criticize the President and those who become targets of his attacks.

"It's this pattern, anyone who speaks up against the President is fair game for this personal criticism and anger, and that's not what makes our country strong," Jarrett said.

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