House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (Wyo.) blasted Rep. Steve King on Wednesday and said it was time for the Iowa Republican “to go” amid uproar over his remarks on rape and incest.
“Today’s comments by @RepSteveKingIA are appalling and bizarre. As I’ve said before, it’s time for him to go. The people of Iowa’s 4th congressional district deserve better,” Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, tweeted.
During an event at the Westside Conservative Club in Iowa on Wednesday, King questioned whether there would be “any population of the world left” if rape and incest had not occurred throughout history.{mosads}
“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?” he said, according to The Des Moines Register.
“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,” he added.
King made the remarks while seeking to defend anti-abortion legislation with no rape or incest exceptions. The remarks quickly drew backlash from various political figures.
This is not the first time Cheney has spoken out against King following controversial comments.
In January, the Wyoming Republican said King should “find another line of work” after he questioned why the terms “white supremacist” and “white nationalist” had become offensive during an interview with The New York Times.
“I agree with Leader McConnell, actually. I think he should find another line of work,” she said at the time, referring to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
“His language questioning whether or not the notion of white supremacy is offensive is absolutely abhorrent, it’s racist. We do not support it or agree with it,” she said then.
King argued earlier this year that the Times took him out of context, but House GOP leaders removed him from his committee assignments.
King’s primary challenger in his reelection bid, Iowa state Sen. Randy Feenstra (R), raised roughly $260,000 in the first quarter — four times what King’s campaign raised, the Washington Examiner reported.