Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday joined a growing chorus of GOP lawmakers and other party officials condemning comments Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa made in support of white nationalism.
“What Steve King said was stupid. It was stupid, it was hurtful, it was wrong. And he needs to stop it,” the Texas Republican told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
In a recent interview with the New York Times, King — who served as the national co-chairman for Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign — questioned why words like “white nationalist” are now considered racist.
“How did that language become offensive?” he told the outlet. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”
In a statement issued after the report was published, King rejected the suggestion he is an advocate for white nationalism. He later apologized on the House floor.
[Related: Kevin McCarthy to meet with Steve King to discuss ‘his future and role in this Republican Party’]
Alongside Cruz, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only African-American Republican in the chamber, wrote in a recent op-ed that opinions like King’s “damage not only the Republican Party and the conservative brand but also our nation as a whole.”
“Some in our party wonder why Republicans are constantly accused of racism — it is because of our silence when things like this are said,” he wrote.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said King’s comments have “no place in our society,” while Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming labeled them “abhorrent and racist.”
Amid the backlash, King this week drew a Republican primary opponent. Although the National Republican Congressional Committee pledged to not oppose King, the group also said it would not intervene in the race.
While Democrats are considering trying to censure King over his comments, House Republican are unlikely to support the motion.
