Iowa Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the latest Republicans to distance themselves from Iowa Rep. Steve King, as both condemned their fellow Iowa Republican for his comments on White supremecy.
During an interview with the New York Times last week, King claimed he didn’t understand why “white nationalist” and “white supremacist” were offensive terms. (RELATED: Steve King Wants To Know How ‘White Supremacist” Became Offensive)
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King asked. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
![Rep. Steve King (R-IA) arrives for a meeting about the American Health Care Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 23, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RTX32GMJ](https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/RTX32GMJ-e1497457171981.jpg)
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) arrives for a meeting about the American Health Care Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 23, 2017.
“I condemn Rep. Steve King’s comments on white supremacy; they are offensive and racist – and not representative of our state of Iowa,” Ernst said on her Twitter account. “We are a great nation and this divisiveness is hurting everyone.”
Grassley also condemned King’s remarks to Axios’s Jonathan Swan.
“I find it offensive to claim white supremacy,” Grassley said. “I will condemn it.”
King’s comments have been widely condemned by Republicans in Congress, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who called King’s language “reckless.”
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