>>> HE IS A REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN WHO HAS PROMOTED
NEO-NAZIS, AND QUESTIONED WHAT’S
SO OFFENSIVE ABOUT THE NOTION OF
WHITE NATIONALISM.
WHITE NATIONALISM. AND TODAY HE IS SUGGESTING THAT
HUMANITY ITSELF WOULD NOT EXIST
WITHOUT RAPE AND INCEST.
CONGRESSMAN STEVE KING,
REPUBLICAN OF IOWA MADE THE
REMARKS WHILE DISCUSSING HIS
PUSH FOR A BILL THAT WOULD
BASICALLY MAKE ALL ABORTIONS
ILLEGAL, EVEN IN CASE OF RAPE
AND INCEST.
AND INCEST. HERE IS HIS REASONING.
>> WHAT IF WE WENT BACK THROUGH
ALL THE FAMILY TREES AND JUST
PULLED THOSE PEOPLE OUT THAT
WERE PRODUCTS OF RAPE AND
INCEST.
INCEST. WOULD THERE BE ANY POPULATION OF
THE WORLD LEFT IF WE DID THAT?
CONSIDERING ALL THE WARS AND ALL
THE RAPE AND PILLAGE THAT’S
TAKEN PLACE AND WHATEVER
HAPPENED, I KNOW I CAN’T CERTIFY
THAT I’M NOT A PART OF A PRODUCT
OF THAT.
OF THAT. AND I WOULD LIKE EVERY ONE OF
THE LIVES OF US ARE AS PRECIOUS
AS ANY OTHER LIFE.
>> I’VE HEARD SOME WEIRD
ARGUMENTS IN MY LIFE, BUT THAT
ONE’S INTERESTING.
ONE’S INTERESTING. ACCORDING TO THE DES MOINES
REGISTER, KING ADDED, QUOTE,
IT’S NOT THE BABY’S FAULT FOR
THE SIN OF THE FATHER OR THE
MOTHER.
MOTHER. CONGRESSMAN KING IS NOT EXACTLY
NEW TO THIS TYPE OF CONTROVERSY.
YOU MAY REMEMBER HOUSE
REPUBLICANS STRIPPED HIM OF ALL
HIS COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS BACK
IN JANUARY AFTER "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" QUOTED HIM AS SAYING
WHITE NATIONALISTS, WHITE
SUPREMACISTS, WESTERN
SUPREMACISTS, WESTERN CIVILIZATION, HOW DID THAT
LANGUAGE BECOME OFFENSIVE?
HIS LATEST COMMENTS PROMPTED HIM
TO RESIGN FROM LIZ CHENEY, THE
CHAIR OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN
CONFERENCE AS WELL AS A SLEW OF
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES STARTING
WITH KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND WHO
TWEETED SIMPLY YOU ARE A
DISGRACE.
DISGRACE. RESIGN.
RESIGN. NBC NEWS TRIED TO GET KING TO
CLARIFY HIS RAPE AND INCEST
COMMENTS THIS AFTERNOON.
>> NBC NEWS.
EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.
YOUR COMMENTS, WHAT WERE YOU
TRYING TO SAY?
YOUR COMMENTS HAVE --
>> YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED
ABOUT YOU RESIGNING.
THEY’RE ASKING FOR YOUR
RESIGNATION.
RESIGNATION. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY, SIR?
SIR?
SIR? WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO SAY?
WHAT WAS YOUR POINT?
>> HE’S GOT A CALL HERE.
>> RAPE AND INCEST.
WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO SAY, SIR
WHAT WAS YOUR POINT?
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHY DID HE CLAM UP ALL OF THE
SUDDEN?
SUDDEN? JOINED BY JOURNALIST LAURA
BASSETT WHO COVERS THE
INTERSECTION OF POLITICS AND
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND HAS
WRITTEN FOR OUTLETS INCLUDING
"THE WASHINGTON POST," HUFF POST
AND GQ.
AND GQ. LAURA, I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT
QUESTION TO START WITH, BUT I
WILL START WITH THIS ONE.
STEVE KING, THE VIEW HE ARCTIC
ARTICULATED WHY ABORTION SHOULD
BE ILLEGAL IN ALL CASES, IS THAT
THE MAINSTREAM OF REPUBLICAN
THOUGHT OR IS HE AN OUTLIER?
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. SO THERE IS A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT QUESTIONS I THINK
WITHIN YOUR QUESTION, ALI.
AND A LOT OF REPUBLICANS, BOTH
AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE
FEDERAL LEVEL HAVE ARGUED THAT
RAPE AND INCEST SHOULD NOT BE
EXCEPTIONS TO ABORTION.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE IS THAT
STEVE KING IS USING THE OPPOSITE
ARGUMENT.
ARGUMENT. MOST REPUBLICANS, INCLUDING
FAMOUSLY TODD AKIN IN 2012 SAY
WE DON’T THINK THERE SHOULD BE
EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE AND INCEST
BECAUSE THOSE SITUATIONS ARE SO
RARE.
RARE. AIKIN NOTORIOUSLY SAID WOMEN
CAN’T BECOME PREGNANT IF IT’S A
LEGITIMATE RAPE.
LEGITIMATE RAPE. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> BECAUSE THE BODY HAS A WAY TO
SHUT THAT THING DOWN.
>> IT’S THE FIRST TIME WE HEARD
LEGITIMATE RAPE.
LEGITIMATE RAPE. >> THAT WAS A TODD AKIN SPECIAL.
NOW STEVE KING SEEMS TO BE
TAKING THE OPPOSITE LOGIC HERE
SAYING NOT ONLY IS IT COMMON TO
HAVE PREGNANCY RESULT FROM RAPE,
IT’S NORMAL.
IT’S NORMAL. YOU AND I WOULDN’T EXIST WITHOUT
IT.
IT. THE ENTIRE HUMAN POPULATION
WOULDN’T EXIST WITHOUT IT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> SO HE IS ESSENTIALLY
NORMALIZING RAPE AND INCEST
WHICH IT’S ALARMING AND BIZARRE.
I HAVEN’T HEARD -- REPUBLICANS
HAVE BEEN STUMBLING OVER
THEMSELVES FOR YEARS, TRYING TO
EXCUSE THEIR OPPOSITION TO RAPE
AND INCEST OPTIONS.
THIS IS A NEW ONE, THOUGH.
>> TO THE EXTENT THAT ONE COULD
HAVE AN INTELLECTUAL ARGUMENT
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE HAS
BEEN A LOT OF RAPE AND INCEST
THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND THAT
HENCE SOME PERCENTAGE OF
HUMANITY IS THE OUTCOME OF THAT,
I’VE NEVER SEEN THOSE TWO PUT
TOGETHER AS AN ARGUMENT FOR
ABORTION LEGISLATION.
ABORTION LEGISLATION. >> IT’S BAFFLING TO ME.
YOU WOULD THINK REPUBLICANS
WOULD HAVE LEARNED THEIR LESSON
BY NOW.
BY NOW. >> YOU WOULD THINK.
>> TALKING ABOUT RAPE AND
ABORTION NEVER GOES WELL FOR
THEM, ESPECIALLY IN AN ELECTION
YEAR.
YEAR. IT REALLY BACKFIRES.
AND THAT’S WHY WE’RE SEEING A
LOT OF PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP,
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP ESPECIALLY
BE REALLY FRUSTRATED WITH STEVE
KING RIGHT NOW.
>> THERE IS SOME POLLING FROM
JUNE AND JULY OF THIS YEAR WHEN
WE’RE TALKING A GREAT DEAL ABOUT
ABORTION LEGISLATION IN THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. 27% OF AMERICANS THINK THAT
ABORTION SHOULD BE LEGAL IN ALL
CASES.
CASES. 14% THINK SHOULD IT BE ILLEGAL
IN ALL CASES.
AND GENERALLY SPEAKING WHEN
SPEAKING ABOUT ALL CASES, WE’RE
SPEAKING ABOUT INCEST AND RAPE.
HERE IS MY QUESTION FOR YOU.
LIZ CHENEY, NOT TOO MANY
REPUBLICANS HAVE TWEETED ABOUT
STEVE KING RESIGNING.
SHE IS ONE OF THEM.
SHE HAS DONE THIS IN THE PAST,
BY THE WAY.
EVEN WHEN THEY STRIPPED HIM OF
HIS COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
EARLIER THIS YEAR, I’VE BEEN
COVERING STEVE KING FOR YEARS.
THIS STUFF IS NOT ALL THAT NEW.
IT ALWAYS ENDS UP BEING KIND OF
REMARKABLE THAT HE THINKS UP A
NEW WAY OF BEING OFFENSIVE.
BUT THE IDEA THAT HE HAS BEEN
DOING THIS GOES BACK YEARS.
>> YOU’RE RIGHT, ALI.
I’VE BEEN COVERING HIM SINCE
2010 AS WELL.
AND HE HAS BEEN SAYING -- HE WAS
ALWAYS THE CRAZY QUOTES IN MY
ARTICLES WHENEVER I COVERED
HOUSE HEARINGS ON ABORTION.
HE HAS BEEN SAYING THE CRAZIEST
THINGS FOR YEARS.
AND WE NEED TO REMEMBER AS
RECENTLY AS 2016, HE WAS THE
NATIONAL CO-CHAIR OF TED CRUZ’S
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. THIS IS NOT SOME FRINGE
REPUBLICAN.
REPUBLICAN. THIS IS A GUY THAT HAS BEEN
EMBRACED BY VERY MAINSTREAM
MEMBERS OF THE PARTY.
AND EARLIER THIS YEAR,
REPUBLICANS HAD A CHANCE TO
EXPEL HIM.
EXPEL HIM. THEY HAD A CHANCE TO FORMALLY
CENSURE HIM, AND THEY DIDN’T DO
EITHER OF THOSE THINGS.
THEY STRIPPED HIM OF HIS
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH
SURE, IT’S SOMETHING.
BUT HE IS STILL WRITING AND
VOTING ON FEDERAL LAWS.
>> AND ACCORDING TO THE DES
MOINES REGISTER STORY QUOTING
HIS COMMENTS TODAY, KING SAID
THERE WAS A PLAN FOR DONALD
TRUMP TO CRITICIZE HIM AS WELL.
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE
WAS PULLED FROM HIS COMMITTEE
ASSIGNMENTS.
ASSIGNMENTS. BUT HE MET WITH TRUMP AND SAID
THERE IS NO SIGNAL FROM DONALD
TRUMP THAT HE IS ANYTHING OTHER
THAN SUPPORTIVE OF ME.
WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER THAT’S
TRUE.
TRUE. BUT WE HAVEN’T HEARD FROM DONALD
TRUMP THAT IT’S NOT TRUE.
>> WELL, TRUMP SUPPORTS A LOT OF
THE THINGS THAT STEVE KING SAYS.
TRUMP HASN’T CONDEMNED WHITE
NATIONALISM VERY STRONGLY.
A LOT OF HIS SUPPORTERS ARE THE
SAME PEOPLE THAT ELECTED STEVE
KING.
KING. STEVE KING DENIGRATES IMGRATES,
HAS COMPARED IMMIGRATES TO DOGS,
SAY THEY HAVE CANTALOUPE CALVES
PULLING DRUGS OVER THE BORDER.
IF TRUMP DOES COME OUT AND
CONDEMN STEVE KING, IT’S GOING
TO BE BECAUSE HIS HAND WAS
FORCED BY OTHER PEOPLE IN HIS
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. >> I THINK IT’S WORTH PLAYING
WHAT STEVE KING SAID TO CHRIS
HAYES IN 2016 APROPOS OF WHAT
YOU JUST SAID.
LET’S LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID
ABOUT WESTERN CIVILIZATION.
>> WHERE DID ANY OTHER SUBGROUP
OF PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE TO WESTERN
CIVILIZATION.
CIVILIZATION. >> THAN WHITE PEOPLE?
>> THAN WESTERN CIVILIZATION
ITSELF ROOTED IN WESTERN EUROPE,
EASTERN EUROPE AND THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA AND EVERY
PLACE WHERE THE FOOTPRINT OF
CHRISTIANITY SETTLED THE WORLD.
THAT’S ALL OF WESTERN
CIVILIZATION.
CIVILIZATION. >> THAT’S THE LANGUAGE THAT
WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND WHITE
NATIONALISTS DO TEND TO USE.
THAT CIVILIZATION CAME FROM
EUROPE, AMERICA.
EUROPE, AMERICA. IT CARRIES THE FLAG FOR WHITE
CULTURE AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS
KIND OF MESSING IT UP A LITTLE
BIT.
BIT. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I USED TO WORK AT HUFF POST.
MY COLLEAGUE CHRIS MATHIAS OVER
THERE HAS BEEN BEATING THIS DRUM
FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.
HE WROTE THE HEADLINE A YEAR AGO
"STEVE KING IS A WHITE
SUPREMACIST AND HE IS STILL IN
CONGRESS AND HE IS NOT BEING
KICKED OUT."