Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Thursday the chants of "send her back" heard at a rally for President Donald Trump were "offensive" and "unfortunate" for the Republican Party, The Hill reports.
"I found the chanting and the chants to be offensive," Romney told reporters. "Very unfortunate for my party but also for our country."
Attendees of a Trump rally in North Carolina chanted "send her back" after Trump launched into a diatribe against Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Somali-American who came to the United States as a refugee.
When asked if Trump should publicly denounce the chant, Romney said the president "has a special responsibility to unite all Americans," and suggested the GOP must become a "big-tent, not a small-tent" party.
Trump said Thursday he "was not happy" with the chant.
"I was not happy with it. I disagree with it," Trump told reporters, according to The Hill.
He also claimed he stopped the chants by "speaking very quickly."
The Hill notes Trump paused for 14 seconds after the chants began and appeared to wait until the chants quieted before he began speaking again.
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