Rep. Steve King raising money off controversy from white nationalism, supremacy comments
While Republicans and Democrats are condemning or calling for Rep. Steve King's resignation after his comments on white nationalism and white supremacy, the congressman is using the backlash to raise money for his campaign.
"The unhinged left has teamed up with Republican 'NeverTrumpers' and is pulling out all the stops to destroy me," King wrote in a campaign email to his supporters.
In the email, King, R-Iowa, said the New York Times and "rabid leftist media" are coming after him for supporting President Donald Trump and because of his views on immigration. The email came after a week of controversy from the Times article where King asked "white nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”
King has sought to backpedal on his comments on the House floor and elsewhere saying he did not mean to put white nationalism and supremacy in the same category as Western civilization. But that did not stop House Republicans from stripping him of committee assignments, or the House from passing a resolution of making its condemnation of white supremacy clear.
But that seems to be the extent of punishment for King so far. Democrat House leaders blocked an effort to censure King, a more formal punishment for the representative, Wednesday.
"I think we have spoken, and we have spoken on both sides of the aisle, that this is unacceptable rhetoric and behavior," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said.
King laughed down a question from Fox News Wednesday when asked about the possibility of getting censured by the House.
"No, that's just not going to happen," King said. "Oh, no."
More: Everything that's happened with Rep. Steve King since his New York Times comments
While the nine-term representative said he was confident the House will take no further action, Republican leaders have not taken back their calls for King to step down from his elected position.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Iowa conservative should "find another line of work." Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking House Republican, echoed McConnell's comments. Sen. Mitt Romney told reporters King should "step aside."
Though King has not made moves to step down from his position, he will likely need the fundraising money to fend off primary challengers.
State Sen. Randy Feenstra, the chair of the Senate's powerful Ways and Means Committee, said he would run for the Republican nomination in King's 4th Congressional District. Bret Richards, an Irwin Republican, is also seeking the nomination.
King has long battled back challenges from within his party and from Democrats. Until 2018, he had easily won reelection. But last year, he faced the closest race of his career.
More: Learn about the Iowa district that re-elects Steve King year after year
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Rep. Steve King raising money off controversy from white nationalism, supremacy comments
