Joe Walsh: "I would not say racist, but I said racist things"

Joe Walsh, a former Republican congressman who launched a first challenge against President TrumpDonald John TrumpJoe Kennedy thinks he'll be sitting in the Senate, Biden told parliament: "I'm not going to go crazy." Relations between Seoul, Pyongyang and Tokyo, need a shock of realityOn Monday, he spoke of controversial remarks, saying he was not racist but said "racist things".

"I would not call myself racist, but I would say that I said racist things on Twitter, no question, and excuses are not enough," said Walsh, who represented the 8th congressional district. from Illinois between 2011 and 2013., said on MSNBC.

Walsh's comments come after he was confronted by MSNBC's John Heilemann with his story of controversial statements, including the accusation that former President Obama was a Muslim.

"You apologized for helping to engender Trump, you apologized for going too far, but for many people the fact is that the president is a rabid racist and so are you," said Heilemann. Assert that mere excuses may not be enough for minority communities.

"You can apologize for different things – apologizing for a burp at the table or using an incorrect fork with your main course is different than offering some kind of sincere recognition that not only," I said. I said some things that are shocking, "but that I" am a racist. I said racist stuff, "he added.

Walsh responded by saying that he had sent tweets that he would regret.

"When I said Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaNew data challenge Trump Trump's economic narrative prepares conspiracy theory to explain the slowing of the economy The ideological gap in vaping has a clear winner: smokers MORE He was a Muslim, it was a horrible thing to say, and I said that because I was so disgusted with Obama's policy towards Israel that I made a very bad step, "he said. declared.

"I've probably sent 40,000 tweets in the last six years, no excuses, you and I could sit down and find 200 to 300 to whom you'd say," Walsh, what were you thinking? "And all I can do is own and explain them and apologize as sincerely as possible for those who deserve an apology."

Walsh, who has openly criticized Trump's presidency, announced Sunday that he was launching a first challenge against the president.

"I run because he's unfit, somebody has to step in, and there has to be an alternative," Walsh told ABC's "This Week" show. "The country is fed up with the crisis of this type.It is a child.And again, the litany.It lies every time that it opens its mouth.Watch what has been this week, the US president is sending us to Twitter in recession. "

Several of Walsh's most inflammatory remarks have received fresh attention since Sunday, including tweeting the conspiracy theory that Obama is a Muslim.

"Obama is a Muslim. Happy New Year! Tweeted Walsh in January 2017.

He has since expressed remorse for his comments, saying in August that he continued "to apologize for ever saying that". But he hinted that Obama's policy towards Israel had made him remark by tweeting, "I do not believe [Obama] was the friend of Israel ".

The former legislator was also closely scrutinized for his comments on Islam and race, as well as for his criticism of African-American protesters. In 2016, he accused police of shooting at organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement, who had condemned the murders.