Rep. Steve King, in a tweet yesterday, paid tribute to a Dutch politician who opposes immigration and has spoken against Islam. It came as the Dutch prepare for an election Wednesday.
King, who has served in the US House since 2003, said Geert Wilders "understands that culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilisation with somebody else's babies".
In an interview today on CNN, King said he stood by his remarks. King said, "I meant exactly what I said," and noted that he delivers the same message to countries in Europe.
King said he wants Americans to promote its own birth rate and culture to avoid the same fate.
Also Read
When asked whether he is promoting a kind of white nationalism, King said the debate isn't about advancing a particular race but rather advancing American culture and Western civilisation.
"This is an effort by the left, I think, to break down the American civilisation, the American culture and turn it into something entirely different. I'm a champion for Western civilisation," he said.
"First of all, I do not agree with Congressman King's statement," Kaufmann said in a press release. "We are a nation of immigrants, and diversity is the strength of any nation and any community."
Most members of the House were still back in their home districts today, muting reaction from King's colleagues. But a couple of Florida Republicans took to Twitter to voice displeasure at his remarks.
"Get a clue, @SteveKingIA. Diversity is our strength. All looking alike is such a waste. A travesty. I wanna be me. All others are taken," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
King is known for making racially charged commentary. Last year, at the Republican National Convention, King questioned contributions to civilisation by non-whites. In 2013, he described children in the country illegally as having "calves the size of cantaloupes because they've been hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert".
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content