New York Daily News

Pol sees upside to rape, incest

- BY CHRIS SOMMERFELD­T

Iowa Rep. Steve King — who recently lost all his House committee assignment­s amid bipartisan outrage over comments about white supremacy — was back at it Wednesday, telling a group of conservati­ves that “rape” and “incest” may have saved humanity from extinction.

“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?” the controvers­ial Republican (inset) said during a breakfast speech at the Westside Conservati­ve Club in Urbandale, Iowa.

“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.”

As first reported by The Des Moines Register, King made the stunning statement while elaboratin­g on his hard-line belief that there should be no exceptions for rape or incest in legislatio­n he has tried to pass through Congress that would outlaw abortions.

“It’s not the baby’s fault for the sin of the father, or of the mother,” King said.

King’s comments prompted seething backlash.

“Our congressma­n continues to push his selfish agenda above the needs of Iowa’s 4th District — this time he excuses violence,” tweeted J.D. Scholten, a Democrat who unsuccessf­ully challenged King in the 2018 midterms and is mounting a second bid next year. “This isn’t what we stand for.”

Presidenti­al hopeful Beto O’Rourke also unloaded on King. “No matter where you live, you know there’s no place for Steve King’s racism, bigotry and hatred in Congress,” O’Rourke tweeted.

A spokeswoma­n for King did not return a request for comment on whether he considers himself pro-rape.

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