GOP Rep. Steve King asks why 'white nationalist' and 'white supremacist' are 'offensive' terms

A Republican member of Congress apparently doesn't think being labeled a white supremacist should be such a bad thing.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) asked The New York Times about the term in an interview published Thursday. "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?," he asked. "Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?"

King, who in October was condemned by the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for "white supremacy and hate," has repeatedly come under fire for racist comments and for on numerous occasions retweeting white nationalists. He told the Times that he's not a racist, apparently by pointing to photos of himself with "Iowans of all races and religions."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Read the full interview with King at The New York Times. Brendan Morrow

Update 3:30 p.m. EST: King tweeted a statement in response to the Times article. "I reject those labels," he said, referring to white nationalism and white supremacy, "and the evil ideology they define." He condemned "anyone that supports" such ideas, and said he is "simply a Nationalist." King wrote that "one of my most strongly held beliefs is that we are all created in God's image."