JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Democratic Missouri state lawmaker says he won’t step down despite facing backlash for repeatedly calling into a radio program whose host has been criticized for comments denounced as racist and offensive.

St. Louis-area Rep. Bob Burns told reporters Monday that he has no intention of resigning.

Missouri Democratic leaders, including U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, called on him to step down for calling in to Bob Romanik’s show on KQQZ-AM Radio.

Burns says his comments were edited in online recordings. He says he was talking about veterans, which Romanik also told The Associated Press. Romanik says it’s wrong to portray Burns as agreeing with him on everything.

Burns says he “does not condone the rants or negative comments” of the host. He apologized for offending colleagues, friends and constituents.

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