Sharpton fired back on Twitter, saying \"Trump says I’m a troublemaker & con man. I do make trouble for bigots. If he really thought I was a con man he would want me in his cabinet.\"

The incident comes just two weeks after the president was widely condemned for tweeting a racist attack on four Democratic congresswomen of color -- Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. and Rashida Tlaib D-Mich.

The president’s acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney defended the president on Sunday when questioned by CBS News’ Margaret Brennan about whether he understood why the president’s attacks are being perceived as racist.

\"I understand why, but that doesn't mean that it's racist,\" Mulvaney said.

Following Monday’s White House meeting, a few of the pastors who attended the meeting with President Trump spoke to reporters.

\"PHOTO:
Leah Millis/Reuters
PHOTO: From left, Rev. Dean Nelson, Alveda King and Bishop Harry Jackson speak to the news media after meeting with President Donald Trump and "Inner City Pastors" at the White House in Washington, D.c., July 29, 2019.
>

Rev. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, said she was \"glad to pray\" with the president today, and defended his record.

\"The employment rates are up in every community, including the black community,\" King said. \"We have an opportunity to continue to be blessed, and we have a president’s whose listening.\"

King walked away without answering a question from ABC News’ Kyra Phillips about whether she believes the president is racist. But Rev. Bill Owens, who runs a coalition of conservative African American pastors, did answer.

\"I find that hard to believe, considering the things he’s done for the black community,\" Owens said. \"Positive things for the black community.\"

Owens said they \"discussed the issues affecting the black community\" but said the president \"did more listening than talking.\"

Owens did say he thought the president \"could do more\" to combat racism in the country, adding \"I don’t think you can do enough.\"

The White House has not released a full list of attendees at today's meetings, but Owens said there were 20 pastors in attendance.

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