House GOP leaders moved today to remove Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) from all of his committee assignments following a firestorm over remarks considered racist, while President Trump declined to comment about it.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters after a meeting of the GOP Steering Committee that King would not receive any committee assignments for the new Congress.
King faced bipartisan criticism after telling the New York Times in an interview published last week, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?”
King had been a member of the House Judiciary, Agriculture and Small Business committees.
He had also served as chairman of a House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice in the last Congress and could have stood to serve as its ranking minority member under the Democratic majority.
The move by GOP leaders severely hamstrings King’s ability to wield influence as a member of Congress.
The Agriculture committee in particular is considered a prime spot for lawmakers like King who represent states with agricultural industries.
“We will not be seating Steve King on any committees in the 116th Congress,” McCarthy told reporters.
King insisted that his remarks were taken out of context and criticized McCarthy’s decision.
“Leader McCarthy’s decision to remove me from committees is a political decision that ignores the truth,” King said in a statement.
Trump, asked about King’s comments on the south lawn of the White House, said, “I haven’t been following it. I really haven’t been following it.”
Yesterday, Trump sent a blatantly racist tweet about Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a potential 2020 contender, who shared a livestream video from her house.
Trump, reprising his racist take on Warren, took aim at her claim to Native American heritage.
“If Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas, did this commercial from Bighorn or Wounded Knee instead of her kitchen, with her husband dressed in full Indian garb, it would have been a smash!” Trump tweeted.
Also yesterday, Trump quoted a blatantly white nationalist column written by Pat Buchanan.
King today was strongly condemned by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Utah freshman Sen. Mitt Romney.
“There is no place in the Republican Party, the Congress or the country for an ideology of racial supremacy of any kind,” McConnell said. “I have no tolerance for such positions and those who espouse these views are not supporters of American ideals and freedoms. Rep. King’s statements are unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position.”
McConnell added, “If he doesn’t understand why ‘white supremacy’ is offensive, he should find another line of work.”
Romney went even further.
“I think he ought to step aside and I think Congress ought to make it very clear he has no place there,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee said on Capitol Hill.
But King made no indication that he plans to resign.
“When I used the word ‘THAT’ it was in reference ONLY to Western Civilization and NOT to any previously stated evil ideology ALL of which I have denounced. My record as a vocal advocate for Western Civilization is nearly as full as my record in defense of Freedom of Speech.”
King’s latest racist remarks follow a long string of remarks disparaging of immigrants and minorities, as well as a seeming embrace of far-right foreign politicians and parties that have been openly hostile to those same groups.
House Democrats are expected to put a resolution introduced by Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) on the floor for a vote on Tuesday to formally disapprove of King’s remarks.
Two other House Democrats unveiled resolutions earlier Monday to censure King.