WASHINGTON (AP) — Indiana gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence apologized Thursday after he compared the Supreme Court’s health care ruling to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“My remarks ... were thoughtless,” the Republican nominee said in a teleconference with reporters in Indiana. “I never intended to minimize any tragedy our nation has faced, and I apologize.”

Pence made the remarks while speaking to other Republican members of the U.S. House in a closed-door meeting in Washington shortly after the court issued its ruling Thursday.

Pence never directly acknowledged during the teleconference that his remarks were in reference to Sept. 11, but two people who attended the meeting in Washington told The Associated Press that Pence likened the ruling to Sept. 11. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was confidential.

Pence was asked several times during his phone call with reporters to explain exactly what he had said, but he declined to do so. Instead, he called it “an unfortunate statement.”

Pence’s comments were first reported by Politico.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg chided Pence, saying it “goes far beyond the bounds of common decency. To compare our legislative and judicial process to a terrorist attack is deeply disturbing and wrong.”

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Associated Press writer Charles Wilson contributed to this report from Indianapolis.