Iowa Representative Steve King, embroiled in controversy in recent weeks because of a string of controversial statements on issues of race and ethnicity, has banned several media outlets attempting to cover his election night gathering, including THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Jeff King, Steve King’s son and paid campaign manager, also would not allow Tom Cullen from the Storm Lake Times, Christopher Mattias from the Huffington Post, and Tony Leys from the Des Moines Register.
Tony Leys wrote in the Des Moines Register earlier on Tuesday that Jeff King had sent him an email, declaring: “We are not granting credentials to the Des Moines Register or any other leftist propaganda media outlet with no concern for reporting the truth.”
Monday night, Jeff King told me that I would be allowed to cover the election night gathering at Stoney Creek hotel and convention center in Sioux City. But Tuesday night, he told me I was being banned “because I saw what you wrote today.” (The story in question involved comments Rep. King made in which he appeared to refer to Mexicans as “dirt.”)
The event had a large bar, set tables, and “Steve King Congress” signs taped to the convention center walls.
In recent weeks, King endorsed white nationalist Faith Goldy for mayor of Toronto and gave an interview to Unzensuriert, which the Washington Post describes as “a publication associated with Austria’s Freedom Party, which was founded by a former Nazi SS officer and is now led by Heinz-Christian Strache, who was active in neo-Nazi circles as a youth.” The Post notes that “while the party has distanced itself from those connections, it recently embraced a hard-line anti-immigration stance while seeking ties with other far-right parties and leaders abroad.”
These controversy around King led Representative Steve Stivers, the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, to denounce his colleague. “Congressman Steve King’s recent comments, actions, and retweets are completely inappropriate,” Stivers said. “We must stand up against white supremacy and hate in all forms, and I strongly condemn this behavior.”
King faces J.D. Scholten, his most serious challenger since winning his seat in 2002-2003. FiveThirtyEight give King a better than 80 percent chance of keeping his seat according to recent projections.
