Rep. Curbelo: I would never vote for someone like Steve King
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said Wednesday he would never vote for Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) given the congressman’s actions and comments on race and association with white supremacists.
“His comments and his actions are disgusting,” Curbelo told MSNBC regarding King.
“I know nothing about his opponent, Andrea, but I can tell you this, I would never cast a ballot for someone like Steve King,” he said.
{mosads}”My principles are more important than any of that,” Curbelo said, when asked if he would even refuse to vote for someone like King if the GOP majority depended on it.
“I would never cast a ballot for someone like Steve King.”
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) October 31, 2018
King has been under scrutiny from the left and right over his comments and conduct regarding race and white nationalism.
The head of the GOP campaign arm in the House, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), also recently criticized King, who is currently running for reelection.
“Congressman Steve King’s recent comments, actions, and retweets are completely inappropriate,” Stivers tweeted Tuesday. “We must stand up against white supremacy and hate in all forms, and I strongly condemn this behavior.”
Congressman Steve King’s recent comments, actions, and retweets are completely inappropriate. We must stand up against white supremacy and hate in all forms, and I strongly condemn this behavior.
— Steve Stivers (@RepSteveStivers) October 30, 2018
King has previously endorsed a white nationalist candidate in a Toronto mayoral race and recently met with members of a far-right Austrian group with links to the Nazi Party.
He has also stated that diversity is not America’s strength and clashed with Curbelo and other members of the GOP last year when he tweeted, “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”
.@SteveKingIA What exactly do you mean? Do I qualify as “somebody else’s baby?” #concernedGOPcolleague
— Carlos Curbelo (@carloslcurbelo) March 13, 2017
Though FiveThirtyEight gives King a 5 in 6 shot of holding his House seat in the midterms, party leadership has come under pressure to punish him.
On Wednesday, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) urged House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to take action against King for is “anti-Semitic and offensive” past comments.
“What the moment demands is our country’s leaders, from all sectors of society, to make it crystal clear that anti-Semitism and hate have no place in the United States,” wrote ADL CEO and national director Jonathan Greenblatt in a public letter.
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