Joe Walsh: I Said ‘Racist Things’ But I’m Not a Racist

Joe Walsh, who announced his candidacy against President Donald Trump over the weekend, admitted he has said "racist things" on Twitter, but insisted he is not a racist. 

"I wouldn’t call myself a racist, but I would say I’ve said racist things on Twitter – there’s no doubt about it, and an apology is not enough," Walsh, a former Representative from Illinois, told MSNBC, reports The Hill.

Walsh was confronted by MSNBC’s John Heilemann about his controversial statements, including accusing former President Barack Obama of being a Muslim. Earlier on Monday, Walsh, now a radio show host, said he apologized for helping bring Trump to power. 

"When I said Barack Obama was a Muslim, that was a horrible thing to say, and I said it because I was so disgusted with Obama’s policy toward Israel that I went a bad ugly step," he responded.

"I’ve probably sent out 40,000 tweets in the last six years. No excuse. You and I could sit down and find 200 to 300 that you’d say, ‘Walsh what were you thinking?’ And all I can do is own them and explain them and apologize as sincerely as I can for the ones that deserve an apology."