Chelsea Clinton rips Steve King’s ‘racism’

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton says Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has not explained away “the racism and jingoism” in his recent comments about “culture” and “Western civilization.”

Glad @SteveKingIA cleared that up. Oh wait, the racism and jingoism were already painfully clear. https://t.co/HdIlobDNRh

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) March 13, 2017 

King late Sunday sparked backlash by tweeting commentary about far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

The tweet included a picture of Wilders — an outspoken critic of immigration and radical Islam — plugging a hole in a wall labeled “Western civilization.”

{mosads}Protesters behind Wilders hold signs that say “Infidels, Know Your Limits” and “Freedom of Speech Go To Hell.”

“Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny,” King wrote of the image. “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”

Clinton said Sunday that King’s remarks were “painful” during the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Clearly the Congressman does not view all our children as, well, all our children. Particularly ironic & painful on Purim. https://t.co/DSmU6hUhhz

— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) March 12, 2017

Social media users quickly began debating King’s comments, with some finding them racially tinged and supportive of white nationalism.

King posted his tweets following reports that Wilders, who has been called the “Dutch Donald Trump,” is in second place before the Netherlands’s national election for its next prime minister.

The Iowa lawmaker defended his controversial statements Monday, arguing “I meant exactly what I said” during a CNN interview.

“It’s a clear message,” King said. “We need to get our birth rates up or Europe will be entirely transformed within half a century or a little more.”

“And Geert Wilders knows that and that’s part of his campaign and part of his agenda,” King told host Chris Cuomo on CNN’s “New Day.”

“Western civilization [is] superior civilization. I’d like to see an America that’s just so homogenous that we look the same, from that perspective.”

King’s tweet has attracted bipartisan outrage, with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) calling it “bigoted and racist” Monday.

“[King] suggests there is one cultural tradition and one appearance that all of humanity should conform to,” he said in a statement. “These ideas have given rise to some of the worst atrocities in human history and they must be condemned.”

Many Republicans were no kinder toward King, with multiple GOP lawmakers deriding his comments Monday.