Dayum, "based on an element of racism" is, as far as I can tell, the closest they've gotten to calling it what it is.
I was wondering about this: with the "weird" discourse, the Dems managed to wrest the concept of normalcy back from the Republicans, and found a way to call out a lot of this odious shit in a way which highlights how unhinged and unserious their rhetoric can be. I feel like the Dems are scared to call out racism for what it is, as the Right does a good job of deflecting by framing such accusations as oversensitive hysterics reflective of a trendy sort of mob mentality. Maybe it falls under "weird," but the Dems should absolutely be asking JD Vance "you think Haitians eat cats? What the hell is wrong with you? Where the fuck is your humanity?"