Embattled Rep. Steve King on Wednesday said the human population might not exist if not for rape and incest, drawing scorn — and renewed calls to resign — from scores of Democrats and some in his own party.
The Iowa Republican, who was speaking at an event in Urbandale, Iowa, was intending to make the case for a GOP policy that bans nearly all abortions, including in cases when the woman is a victim of rape or incest.
“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, which first reported the comments.
“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,” King continued.
Democrats in Congress and on the 2020 campaign trail reacted with fury, saying that King’s comments amounted to excusing violence against women and disregarding the victims of rape and incest.
King’s remarks drew a backlash from House GOP leaders — who already agreed to strip him of his committee posts after a string of racist remarks earlier this year — though their response took several hours.
“These comments are wrong, and offensive, and underscore why we removed him from his committees,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said in a statement to POLITICO Wednesday afternoon.
Click here to read more.
SOURCE: Politico, Sarah Ferris
BCNN1 WP 