After sparking intense backlash by claiming Democrats are “in love with terrorists,” Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) walked back his comments on Friday and offered an apology. “Let me be clear: I do not believe Democrats are in love with terrorists, and I apologize for what I said earlier this week,” Collins tweeted. After saying his comments were in response to House Democrats attempting to limit the president’s authority to wage war with Iran and that he witnessed “vicious terrorist” Qassem Soleimani killing soldiers “firsthand,” Collins noted that “does not excuse my response on Wednesday evening.”

Following his inflammatory remarks on Wednesday, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs after her helicopter was shot down in 2004—fired back: “I left parts of my body in Iraq fighting terrorists. I don’t need to justify myself to anyone.”

In an earlier Fox News appearance on Friday, however, Collins largely defended his comments, saying that it's "very frustrating" for him that Democrats are describing Soleimani's death as an "assassination" and that their "actions are betraying them at this point."