A Colorado man Blake Gibbins, 26, was arrested by authorities in Fort Dodge, Iowa, after he allegedly threw a glass of water at controversial Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, on Friday.
Witnesses told the Fort Dodge police department that Gibbins, who is from Lafayette, Colo., approached the Iowa lawmaker around 12:30 p.m. Friday while dining at local restaurant Mineral City Mill and Grill, asking King if he was the congressman from the area. When King confirmed he was, Gibbins allegedly grabbed a a glass of water and threw it at the lawmaker.
According to the police department, Gibbins was in town visiting family. The Colorado man was charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct by Fort Dodge police.
King has become notorious during his 16-year tenure in Congress for his brash and controversial statements, particularly when it comes to race relations and nationalism.
In an Iowa town hall last week, King said regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s role in Hurricane Katrina: “Here’s what FEMA tells me: We go to a place like New Orleans, and everybody’s looking around saying, ‘Who’s gonna help me, who’s gonna help me?’ When FEMA responds to problems in Iowa, they’re just always gratified when they come and see how Iowans take care of each other.”
Nearly 60 percent of New Orleans residents are black, according to the latest census data.
In January, House Republican leadership was forced to strip King of his committee assignments, including his senior roles in the prominent House Judiciary Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. The move came after the Iowa lawmaker questioned by people are offended by terms like “white supremacist.”
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive,” King asked.
King’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
