Eric Cantor Defends Bachmann's Muslim Brotherhood Inquiry: 'Her Concern Was About the Security of the Country

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) on Friday defended Michele Bachmann and other GOP representatives who have called for an investigation into whether the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the United States.

(Related: Beck, Limbaugh Defend Bachmann’s Muslim Brotherhood Inquiry as GOP Leaders Turn on Her)

Cantor, appearing on CBS' "This Morning," declined to criticize Bachmann when asked whether she was "out of line" for sending letters to top government departments about whether longtime Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s family and other American officials have ties to the Brotherhood and are trying to promote the group within the U.S.

"If you read some of the reports that have covered the story, I think that her concern was about the security of the country," Cantor said. "So that's about all I know."

Bachmann has come under heavy fire for the issue, including from fellow Republicans. Cantor's words are in stark contrast to those of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who called the claims about Abedin "sinister" and "ugly," and to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who said they were "dangerous."

(Related: Bachmann Hits Back at Critics Regarding Her Letter About Muslim Brotherhood and Its U.S. Tentacles)

Asked by host Charlie Rose whether he feels the Republican Party is more prone to intolerance, Cantor said there is "equal opportunity of intolerance, unfortunately Charlie, in this country. To me, it’s really important for us to remember that we are a country that appreciates freedom and diversity.”

“I feel very strongly about the fact that we are a nation of inclusion. We’re built on the waves of immigrants that have come to these shores. I myself am a member of a minority faith and have enjoyed the ability to pursue and practice that faith unlike I could anywhere else in the world,” Cantor said.