Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Tuesday issued an unusual defense of President Donald Trump’s racist remarks against four Democratic congresswomen by comparing the president to an internet troll.

According to Politico reporter Burgess Everett, Cruz deflected criticism of Trump’s racist tweets against Reps. Rashiba Tlaib (D-MI), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) by arguing that “lefties on Twitter every day” tell him to “go back” to Canada, where he was born in 1970.

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Sen. Cruz: “lefties on Twitter everyday” tell him to go back to where he came from — Burgess Everett (@burgessev) July 16, 2019

New York Magazine columnist Jonathan Chait responded to this defense by pointing out that we normally hold the president of the United States to higher standards than Twitter trolls.

“Okay, agreed — neither Trump nor the lefties on Twitter who tell Cruz to go back where he come from are fit to be president,” he wrote. “See, both sides have good ideas.”

Okay, agreed — neither Trump nor the lefties on Twitter who tell Cruz to go back where he come from are fit to be president See, both sides have good ideas https://t.co/qSaPXllV0F — Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) July 16, 2019