>>> TAKE A DEEP BREATH WITH ME. THIS MORNING IOWA CONGRESSMAN
STEVE KING IS UNDER FIRE YET
AGAIN.
AGAIN. THE CONTROVERSIAL LAWMAKER
GETTING MAJOR BACKLASH FROM BOTH
PARTIES AFTER HE SAID THIS WHILE
RAILING AGAINST LEGALIZED
ABORTION IN CASES OF RAPE AND
INCEST.
INCEST. >> WHAT IF THEY WENT BACK
THROUGH THE FAMILY TREES AND
PULLED OUT OF THE PEOPLE WHO
WERE PRODUCTS OF RAPE AND
INCEST?
INCEST? WOULD THERE BE ANY POPULATION
LEFT IF WE DID THIS?
CONSIDERING ALL OF THE WARS AND
ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED IN CULTURE
AND SOCIETY?
AND SOCIETY? I CAN’T CERTIFY I AM NOT A
PRODUCT OF THAT.
>> WITHOUT RAPE AND INCESST
THERE WOULD BE NO POPULATION.
JOSH, THIS ISN’T A SURPRISE.
A TON OF THE 2020 DEMOCRATS HAVE
CALLED ON HIM TO RESIGN.
BUT HERE’S THE THING.
MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY ARE
SAYING THAT.
SAYING THAT. WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF IOWA,
HIS OWN CONSTITUENTS?
WHAT DO THEY THINK?
>> Reporter: STEPHANIE, WE’VE
BEEN TALKING TO FOLKS HERE IN
FORT DODGE AS THEY SHOW UP FOR
WORK AND DO SOME OF THEIR
SHOPPING THIS MORNING.
THE COLLECTIVE REACTION HAS BEEN
A DEEP SIGH.
PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THIS.
THEY’VE HEARD THESE KIND OF
COMMENTS FROM STEVE KING BEFORE.
THEY’RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY
THAT IT REPRESENTS IOWA TO THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> I DON’T FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT
IT.
IT. I THINK WE COULD DO BETTER.
>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK
CONGRESSMAN KING AT THIS POINT
SHOULD RESIGN?
SHOULD RESIGN? >> WELL, HE SHOULD RESIGN OR
PEOPLE SHOULD FIRE HIM.
>> I THINK WE’RE GETTING LAUGHED
AT.
AT. I DO.
I DO. WHEN WE MAKE COMMENTS LIKE THAT.
>> Reporter: AND, STEPHANIE, WE
WANTED TO SHOW A CROSS SECTION
OF VIEWS HERE.
WE’VE BEEN LOOKING TO FIND
SOMEONE WHO MIGHT DEFEND WHAT
STEVE KING SAID.
SO FAR WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
FIND ANYBODY.
FIND ANYBODY. >> ALL RIGHT.
HERE’S THE THING.
HE HAS SAID A LOT OF OFFENSIVE
THINGS BEFORE.
THINGS BEFORE. AND HE WON RE-ELECTION.
DOES IT SEEM TO BE IN QUESTION
AT THIS POINT, ARE THERE OTHER
REPUBLICANS THERE SAYING I’M
GOING TO NEED TO TAKE THIS SEAT?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. HE HAS A REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER.
BUT LOOK.
BUT LOOK. THIS IS A DEEP, RED DISTRICT.
TRUMP WON HERE BY 27 POINTS.
IN ANY NORMAL TIMES THE
REPUBLICAN HERE WOULD HAVE NO
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. THE LAST ELECTION STEVE KING
BARELY HELD ON BY ABOUT THREE
POINTS.
POINTS. HE DOES HAVE A REPUBLICAN
CHALLENGER BUT THE IRONIC THING
HERE STEPHANIE IS FOR DEMOCRATS
THAT WANT TO FLIP THIS SEAT THE
WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN
WOULD BE FOR STEVE KING TO
RESIGN OR LOSE IN THE PRIMARY
BECAUSE IF IT IS STEVE KING
HEADING INTO THIS NEXT ELECTION
DEMOCRATS ACTUALLY COULD HAVE A
CHANCE AT FLIPPING IT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MICHAEL STEELE, FORMER SENIOR
ADVISER TO JEB BUSH AND NEW
FATHER, JOINING ME, AND ARTHUR
BROOKS BACK WITH ME.
BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE LATEST
COMMENT IN CASE PEOPLE DON’T
REMEMBER I WANT TO READ SOME OF
THE OTHER THINGS STEVE KING HAS
SAID IN THE PAST.
IN 2010 ON THE HOUSE FLOOR KING
SAID, OF RACIAL PROFILING,
PROFILING HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN
IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF
LEGITIMATE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IN 2013 WHEN TALKING ABOUT
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS, HE
SAID, FOR EVERYONE WHO IS A
VALEDICTORIAN THERE ARE ANOTHER
HUNDRED OUT THERE WHO WEIGH 130
POUNDS AND HAVE CALVES THE SIZE
OF CANTALOUPES BECAUSE THEY ARE
HAULING 75 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA
ACROSS THE DERT.
IN 2017 WHEN TALKING ABOUT BIRTH
RIGHT CITIZENSHIP HE SAID I’D
LIKE TO SEE AN AMERICA THAT IS
SO HOMOGENEOUS THAT WE LOOK A
LOT THE SAME.
THAT SAME YEAR ON TWITTER
ASSIMILATION NOT DIVERSITY IS
OUR AMERICAN STRENGTH.
THIS YEAR HE POSED THE QUESTION.
WHITE NATIONALIST, WHITE
SUPREMACIST, WESTERN
SUPREMACIST, WESTERN CIVILIZATION, HOW DID THAT
LANGUAGE BECOME OFFENSIVE?
ARTHUR?
ARTHUR? >> HUM?
>> HUM? >> HOW IS THIS PERSON STILL A
SITTING MEMBER OF CONGRESS GIVEN
THIS LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS?
IOWA IS A GREAT STATE.
THERE IS NO OTHER REPUBLICAN WHO
WILL SAY, I BELIEVE IN YOUR -- I
AGREE WITH YOU ON POLICY BUT
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE
SOMEBODY ELSE HERE.
WHY HASN’T THAT HAPPENED?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
IT’S HARD TO SAY.
YOU HAVE TO ASK THE PEOPLE OF
IOWA.
IOWA. IT IS REVEALING THAT SOMEBODY
THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, A SUPER,
SUPER, BLOOD RED DISTRICT IS
ALMOST LOSING NOT WITH STANDING
THE FACT HE HAS SO MANY TERMS
BEHIND HIM THAT HE LOCKED UP
THIS WHOLE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT
HE’S NOT AS POPULAR AS HE WOULD
BE IF HE WERE IN ANY WAY NORMAL
OR SAID NORMAL THINGS.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT HE GOES
TO A COW TOWN KIND OF REPUBLICAN
EVENT AND HAS A THOUSAND CAMERAS
BECAUSE HE IS ONE SECOND AWAY
FROM SAYING SOMETHING CRAZY
APPARENTLY ALL THE TIME.
THEN OF COURSE WHAT HAPPENS IS,
YOU KNOW, IN POLITICS TODAY, THE
DEMOCRATS SAY, OH, HE REPRESENTS
THE WAY -- THE ID OF
REPUBLICANISM.
REPUBLICANISM. THIS IS WHAT CONSERVATIVES
THINK.
THINK. THEY TAKE THIS AS CRAZY THINGS
THAT HE SAID THIS OFF THE WALL
EVENT AND WE BROADCAST IT AND
TALK ABOUT IT AS IF IT WERE KIND
OF WHAT REPUBLICANS WERE
THINKING.
THINKING. HE IS A ONE MAN SORT OF
REPUBLICAN VERSION OF THE SQUAD.
HE DOESN’T REPRESENT THE PARTY.
I DON’T THINK.
>> EXCEPT HE IS IN OFFICE.
MICHAEL, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
REPUBLICAN PARTY. >> I AM?
>> I AM? >> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STEVE
KING REPRESENTING REPUBLICANS?
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE, OH, HE IS
SO CRAZY THE DISTRICT MIGHT FLIP
TO BLUE.
TO BLUE. YOU COULD JUST PICK ANOTHER
REPUBLICAN.
REPUBLICAN. >> SURE.
>> SURE. LOOK, STEVE KING IS A NASTY OLD
KOOK WHO OUGHT TO BE MUTTERING
TO HIMSELF ON A PARK BENCH NOT
REPRESENTING ANYONE IN THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
HE IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, AN
EMBARRASSMENT TO THE STATE OF
IOWA, AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE
PROUD TRADITION OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. I THINK THAT’S WHY YOU’RE SEEING
BIPARTISAN CONDEMNATION NOT JUST
FROM DEMOCRATIC 2020 CANDIDATES,
NOT JUST FROM DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS BUT THE
HEAD OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN
CONFERENCE HAS CALLED ON STEVE
KING TO RESIGN.
BOTH BECAUSE WHAT HE IS SAYING
IS DEEPLY OFFENSIVE AND WRONG
AND HURTS THE PARTY AND ALSO
BECAUSE HE IS PUTTING A VERY,
VERY SAFE REPUBLICAN SEAT
POTENTIALLY IN PLAY.
LOOK, STEVE KING HAS A
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY OPPONENT.
I URGE ANYONE INTERESTED IN
RESPONSIBLE, CONSERVATIVE
RESPONSIBLE, CONSERVATIVE GOVERNANCE TO SUPPORT HIM IN ANY
WAY POSSIBLE.
WAY POSSIBLE. >> IT IS FUNNY YOU SAY HE IS
SORT OF THE SQUAD.
HE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE SQUAD,
THE POINT YOU’RE MAKING BUT OUR
COLLEAGUE JONATHAN ALLEN SAYS
HIS COMMENTS COULD ACTUALLY POSE
A BIG THREAT TO THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY AND HE WRITES THIS.
FOR DEMOCRATS, KING REPRESENTS
AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL VOTERS
PARTICULARLY SUBURBAN WOMEN,
THAT REPUBLICANS ARE PUSHING
EXTREME POLICIES BASED ON AN
OUTLANDISH IDEOLOGY.
OUTLANDISH IDEOLOGY. WE KNOW REPUBLICANS NEED TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET NEW
VOTERS, YOUNG VOTERS, WOMEN.
HOW CAN THEY DO THAT WITH STEVE
KING IN OFFICE AND DEMOCRATS IN
A POSITION TO RUN THAT SOUND
OVER AND OVER?
>> THEY NEED A GREAT PRIMARY
CHALLENGER WHO WILL BEAT HIM IN
THE PRIMARY AND REPLACE HIM.
YOU JUST SAW A REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY SAYING
EXACTLY THAT.
EXACTLY THAT. WHAT HE SAYS IS OFFENSIVE, WHAT
HE SAYS IS WRONG, WHAT HE SAYS
IS BAD FOR THE PARTY.
EVERYBODY GO OUT AND VOTE FOR
HIS OPPONENT IN THE PRIMARY.
THAT’S WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO AND
UNLESS THEY GET THAT DONE IT IS
GOING TO BE A MAJOR THREAT.
ANY TIME THAT WRONG.
UNLESS THAT’S WHAT THEY DO, HE
WILL BE A MAJOR THREAT.
ANY TIME THERE IS A PARTY THAT
IS WAY OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM OF
THEIR PARTY, IT’S GOING TO GET
PLAYED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
>> HE IS WAY OUTSIDE THE
MAINSTREAM.
MAINSTREAM. >> HE IS.
>> HE IS. I’M NOT A MEMBER OF A PARTY BUT
I LOOK AT REPUBLICAN OPINION
POLLING ALL DAY LONG.
THE STUFF HE SAYS IS NOT SHARED.
THE STUFF HE SAYS ABOUT
IMMIGRANTS, PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY
VERY POSITIVE ABOUT IMMIGRANTS,
INCLUDING MAINSTREAM
INCLUDING MAINSTREAM REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. >> BUT MICHAEL, DO YOU KNOW WHO
ISN’T POSITIVE ON IMMIGRANTS?
THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
SO WILL THE PRESIDENT SEE THIS
AS OFFENSIVE?
AS OFFENSIVE? WILL MITCH McCONNELL SAY, HEY,
STEVE KING, TIME FOR YOU TO PACK
IT IN AND RESIGN.
>> I THINK THE FACT HE CAN’T
FIND PEOPLE TO DEFEND STEVE KING
IN HIS OWN DISTRICT IS PRETTY
TELLING.
TELLING. I THINK SENATOR McCONNELL IS
PROBABLY GOING TO SAY THIS IS A
HOUSE MATTER.
HOUSE MATTER. THE PRESIDENT IS AN EASY
QUESTION.
QUESTION. BUT I HOPE THAT WHAT MITCH
McCONNELL HAS SAID AND THE PARTY
IN HIS HOUSE HAS BEEN SO CLEAR
THAT IF THE PRESIDENT DECIDES TO
ADDRESS THIS ISH USUE, HE WILL S