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We just published a story looking at Congressman Steve King and his influence on Trump and the border wall debate. King is a sitting member of Congress who has used racist language and been denounced as a white supremacist by his own party. nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/…
Sunlight is the best disinfectant for views like King’s. We examined King's comments -- he promotes neo-Nazis on Twitter, he has spoken to far-right publications about migration and the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory, he has demeaned and vilified immigrants and Latinos.
Trump visited King in Iowa in 2014 and nodded along as King described conspiracy theories of terrorists illegally entering the country. Trump embraced King in 2016 and invited him to the Oval Office, where King said he had "market tested your immigration policy for 14 years."
King, in an interview with the Times, denied he is a racist. Then he said: “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
From the story: Last week, as the new Congress was sworn in, Mr. King sat on his side of a chamber sharply delineated by demographics. The Democratic majority included record numbers of African-Americans and women, including the first Native American and the first Muslim women.
King’s side was mostly people who look like him. “You could look over there and think the Democratic Party is no country for white men,” he said.
My team and I discussed at length how to write this story. We did not want to give King an unfiltered platform. We wanted to shine sunlight and expose views that have deeply influenced Trumpism and the current debate. A Republican said Wednesday he would primary King in 2020.
If you have comments or concerns about the story, please feel free to email me at pdh@nytimes.com. nyti.ms/2RHMST5?smid=n…
