{"id":226909,"date":"2019-08-14T22:53:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T02:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=226909"},"modified":"2019-08-14T22:53:52","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T02:53:52","slug":"rep-king-suggests-rapes-incest-helped-populate-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/08\/14\/rep-king-suggests-rapes-incest-helped-populate-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Rep. King suggests rapes, incest helped populate the world"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FILE: U.S. Rep. Steve King at the White House. (Photo<\/a>: Steve King\/Twitter<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DES MOINES, Iowa \u2014 U.S. Rep. Steve King on Wednesday defended his call for a ban on all abortions by questioning whether there would be \u201cany population of the world left\u201d if not for births due to rape and incest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking before a conservative group in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale, the Iowa congressman reviewed legislation he has sought that would outlaw abortions without exceptions for rape and incest. King justified the lack of exceptions by questioning how many people would be alive if not for those conceived through rapes and incest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?\u201d King asked, according to video of the event, which was covered by The Des Moines Register. \u201cConsidering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that’s taken place … I know I can’t certify that I’m not a part of a product of that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He added: \u201cIt’s not the baby’s fault for the sin of the father, or of the mother.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A King spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.<\/span><\/p>\n

The nine-term Republican congressman, who represents a sprawling, largely rural 39-county district, has been criticized repeatedly for comments he’s made over the years, especially on issues related to race and immigration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shortly before the November 2018 election, The Washington Post reported that King met in Austria with the far-right Freedom Party, a group with Nazi ties. King said the meeting was with business leaders, including one person from the Freedom Party, but the newspaper stood by its story.<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon after the election, King was quoted in a New York Times story saying, \u201cWhite nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization \u2014 how did that language become offensive?\u201d The comments were denounced as racist and led the House to vote 424-1 to rebuke King. Republican leaders also stripped him of his committee assignments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although King has usually breezed to victories in the conservative 4th Congressional District, he narrowly won his last election over Democrat J.D. Scholten.<\/span><\/p>\n

This year, several candidates have said they will challenge King for the Republican nomination, including conservative state Sen. Randy Feenstra. Scholten also recently announced he’d again run for the seat.<\/span><\/p>\n

After King’s comment Wednesday, Feenstra said in a statement, \u201cI am 100% pro-life but Steve King’s bizarre comments and behaviour diminish our message & damage our cause.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Scholten also criticized King.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYet again, Steve King puts his selfish, hateful ideology above the needs of the people of Iowa’s 4th District. Excusing violence \u2014 in any way \u2014 is entirely unacceptable,\u201d Scholten said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a tweet, U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 Republican in House leadership, called King’s comments \u201cappalling and bizarre\u201d and added \u201cit’s time for him to go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Several Democratic presidential candidates noted King’s comments and urged people to contribute to Scholten’s campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou would think it would be pretty easy to come out against rape and incest,\u201d one of the presidential candidates, Pete Buttigieg, said in a statement. \u201cThen again, you’d think it’d be pretty easy to come out against white nationalism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

This version of the story corrects the partial quote in the 1st paragraph and the full quote in the 3rd paragraph to reflect video of his speech. The corrections do not change the meaning of the quotes.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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