Iowa Rep. Steve King (R) on Wednesday endorsed a candidate in Toronto’s mayoral election who was fired by an alt-right media outlet after she appeared on a podcast produced by a neo-Nazi website.
King on Wednesday tweeted his support for Faith Goldy, a former employee of Rebel Media and a candidate in Toronto’s upcoming mayoral election, by calling Goldy “Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values.”
{mosads}Goldy was fired last year by Rebel Media after she appeared on a podcast for the Daily Stormer, the world’s biggest neo-Nazi website, during which she recited the “14 words” slogan often used as an identifier by white supremacists, according to The Washington Post.
“Faith Goldy, an excellent candidate for Toronto mayor, pro Rule of Law, pro Make Canada Safe Again, pro balanced budget, &…BEST of all, Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values. @FaithGoldy will not be silenced,” King tweeted.
Goldy also attended the deadly white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., during which she broadcast a livestream of the event on Periscope.
She is considered a fringe candidate in Toronto’s upcoming mayoral election, set to take place on Monday, with incumbent Mayor John Tory leading in the polls.
King’s endorsement drew sharp criticism from both sides of the aisle.
Adam Rubenstein, an assistant opinion editor at The Weekly Standard, called King “an embarrassment to the GOP and to America” over his endorsement.
King’s Democratic challenger, J.D. Scholten, tweeted, “Once again, Steve King spends more time supporting far-right leaders in other countries than he does focusing on the needs of the people of our district.”
King has faced criticism in the past for comments highly critical of immigration and multiculturalism. He tweeted last year that America does not find strength from diversity.
“Diversity is not our strength. Assimilation has become a dirty word to the multiculturalist Left. Assimilation, not diversity, is our American strength,” he tweeted at the time.
King’s office did not respond immediately to The Hill’s requests for comment.