President Obama said the United States has not yet overcome its history of racism, according to CBSnews, the president was making his case using the “N-word.”

In an interview, Mr. Obama weighed in on the debate over race and guns that has erupted after the arrest of a white man in in Charleston for the racially motivated shooting deaths of nine black church members from Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

“Racism, we are not cured of it,” Mr. Obama said. “And it’s not a matter of it not being polite to say n****r in public. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It is not just a matter of whether racism still exists or not. It’s not just an issue of overt discrimination.” He added that people do not just forget overnight what happened 200 to 300 years prior.

The remarks made by President Obama came during an interview with comedian Marc Maron for his popular podcast, where the crude language is often part of the discussion.

“I will tell you, right after Sandy Hook, Newton, when 20 6-year-olds are gunned down, and the Congress literally does nothing-yes that’s the closest I came to feeling disgusted, “ he said. “ I was pretty disgusted.”

Mr. Obama said that while attitudes about race have improved significantly since he was born to white mother and black father, the legacy of slavery “casts a long shadow and that’s still part of our DNA that’s passed on.”

President Obama also expressed his frustrations that” the grip of the NRA on Congress is extremely strong” and prevented gun control from advancing in Congress after 20 children and six educators were massacred in a Connecticut elementary school in 2012.

With the campaign to replace him gradually heating up, Mr. Obama said he thinks he would be a better candidate if he were running again, because although he’s slowed down a little bit, “I know what I’m doing, and I’m  and I’m fearless.