Steve King, a United States Representative from Iowa, was addressing a crowd at the Westside Conservative Club when he made some jaw-dropping comments that have sparked outrage. King was discussing the anti-abortion legislation he has attempted to pass in Congress which would not allow exceptions for rape or incest.
While defending the lack of exceptions, King questioned whether civilization would exist today without rape or incest.
Yes, he said that. This is not fake news
“What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?” King said, according to the Des Moines Register. “Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations, I know that I can’t say that I was not a part of a product of that.”
Excuse me? That’s not it, chief.
As you might expect, a number of Democratic presidential candidates jumped on King’s comments and called for him to resign.
“Iowans have long deserved better than Steve King and his hateful, insulting words,” New Jersey Senator Cory Booker said on Twitter, while also dropping a donation link for King’s Democratic opponent J.D. Scholten. “He should resign.”
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand kept it simply saying, “You are a disgrace. Resign.”
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg also chimed in on the matter.
“I would think anybody who had said something that extreme would resign,” he said, via NBC News. “But then again, I doubt that he’ll actually do it. So we’re just going to have to beat him the old-fashioned way.”
We’ll have to see if Steve King comments on the controversy or apologies, but considering his past we wouldn’t bet on it.
