Although he did not say he regretted calling President Donald Trump “the grand wizard of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) backed off his comment on Wednesday, saying he does not actually think the president “is a card-carrying member of the KKK.”

However, Jeffries pointed out Trump “has presided and engaged in directly a series of racially insensitive remarks.”

Jeffries told CNN “New Day” host Alisyn Camerota that Martin Luther King, Jr., Day should be a day where people can have a “candid” conversation about race.

“But you called the president the grand wizard meaning of the KKK. That’s language of the KKK. You think the president of the United States is connected to the KKK? He’s a Klansman?” Camerota asked.

He replied, “Absolutely not, and as you know, Alisyn, I did not use the words racist in any of my comments.”

“I do not believe that the president is a card-carrying member of the KKK, but he has presided over and engaged in directly a series of racially insensitive remarks. We cannot whitewash that. We cannot hide it. And on King Day, we should be able to have that candid discussion,” Jeffries added.

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