Rep. Peter King (R-NY) used a racial slur to refer to people of Japanese descent May 13 on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program while discussing his opposition toward the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s perspective on national security issues.

“National defense and homeland security are issues that mean the most to me and there’s real issues with him, real problems with his views … It’s just like the guy at the end of the bar that says, ‘Oh screw them, bomb them, kill them, pull out, bring them home. … ‘Why pay for the Japs, why pay for the Koreans,’” the former Homeland Security Committee chairman said.

Representatives from various organizations, including the Japanese American Citizens League, have decried King’s use of the slur. The Council on American–Islamic Relations has called on King to apologize.

Asian American politicians who, in interviews or statements provided to news outlets have criticized King’s use of the slur include Judy Chu (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). The JACL said in an e-mail newsletter sent May 17 that in 1957, it “launched a campaign to eliminate the use of the word ‘Jap’ as a reference to persons of Japanese ancestry. A massive public education drive was carried out to make others aware of the racist roots of the term and to condemn its use.”

King has yet to apologize for his use of the slur.