Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has responded to reports that his family owned slaves by comparing himself to Barack Obama, America's first black president.
Mr McConnell made the comparison during a weekly press briefing in which he was asked if his position on reparations had changed following a report that his great-great-grandfathers had owned at least 14 slaves in Alabama.
When asked about that report from NBC News, Mr McConnell appeared to smile before brushing off the question.
"You know, I found myself once again in the same position as President Obama: we both oppose reparations and we both are descendants of slave holders," Mr McConnell said.
Mr McConnell had signalled his aversion to reparations in June before a House hearing on whether payment in some form to the descendants of slaves was appropriate.
He said then that "none of us currently living are responsible."
"We've tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a civil war, by passing landmark civil rights legislation," he added. "We've elected an African American president."
Mr Obama's great-great-great-great grandfather owned two slaves in Kentucky, according to a 2007 report in the Baltimore Sun. His great-great-great-great-great grandmother also owned two slaves, according to that report. Mr Obama's father was Kenyan, and met the former president's mother while studying at the University of Hawaii.
