Republican leaders reacted to Congressman Steve King’s anti-immigrant stance on Monday with condemnations after the Iowan politician insulted immigrants as “somebody else’s babies.”
In a tweet, King voiced his backing for a far right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who has called for shutting down mosques, saying:
“Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”
His remarks were interpreted by the mainstream American media as supporting White nationalism and demeaning all immigrants. Later, in a CNN appearance King defended his remark and argued in its favor.
But senior Republican leaders and civil society organizations censured King’s exclusivity as being contrary to American values.
Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said, “I do not agree with Congressman King’s statement. We are a nation of immigrants, and diversity is the strength of any nation and any community.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan also rejected thee statement, telling Fox News how America has been a great melting pot, where people from around the world come to have opportunity to succeed.
The Speaker emphasized that “the condition of your birth doesn’t determine the outcome of your life” in this country.
“I don’t think,” Ryan added, “that statement reflects what is special about this country. I’d like to think––and I haven’t spoken to Steve about this––I’d like to think that he misspoke and it wasn’t really meant the way that that sounds, and hopefully he’s clarified that.”
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush also joined the chorus of denunciation, stressing that King’s tweet about immigration doesn’t reflect American values.
“America is a nation of immigrants,” Bush tweeted. “The sentiment expressed by Steve King doesn’t reflect our shared history or values.”
David Kochel, a Republican strategist from Iowa also took exception to King’s controversial views.
“He’s always been consistent with these extreme views, but this articulation of full-on white nationalism is a few clicks past ‘cantaloupe calves,’ which was reprehensible to begin with. I don’t believe these views represent anything but the most extreme elements of the race-baiting fringe,” Kochel said, according to The New York Times.
According to National Public Radio, King’s remark also had its supporters. David Duke, a White supremacist, who tweeted “GOD BLESS STEVE KING!!! #TruthRISING.” Duke also suggested “sanity reigns supreme” in King’s congressional district, according to an NPR report. A neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, also praised King’s views.
