Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on Wednesday dismissed his critics as “cannibal[s]” and suggested he will be re-elected easily in next’s week midterm election, despite polls showing him running in a close race.
King told Bloomberg in an interview that recent criticism of him and his comments supporting white nationalist candidates and groups are “uninformed.”
{mosads}”It’s uninformed. If it wasn’t, they would’ve cited something that gave them grief,” King told Bloomberg. “Same with Stivers. If you attack someone and you don’t cite anything, you’re just a cannibal. That’s all you are,” he added, referencing comments made by National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Steve Stivers, who condemned King in a tweet his week.
“Congressman Steve King’s recent comments, actions, and retweets are completely inappropriate,” Stivers, a Republican member of the House from Ohio, wrote on Twitter. “We must stand up against white supremacy and hate in all forms, and I strongly condemn this behavior.”
King has faced increased scrutiny in recent days over his support of white nationalist groups and politicians.
This month, King endorsed a white nationalist candidate in Canada and defended his ties to the far-right Austria Freedom Party, telling The Washington Post on Saturday that the party would be Republican if it were in the U.S.
A number of companies, including tech giant Intel Corp. and dairy company Land O’Lakes, have announced in recent days that they will no longer contribute to King’s campaign.
King faces a potentially close reelection bid against Democratic challenger J.D. Scholten in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. A poll released Tuesday showed King with just a 1-point lead in the race.
In his interview with Bloomberg, King dismissed the poll, saying that internal polling has shown him with an 18-point lead in his re-election bid.
King also told Bloomberg that he would have an extended response to Stivers after the midterms.
“Unlike him, I’m not willing to risk the majority by following my instincts here. Those are scores that can be settled after the election,” King said.
Nonpartisan elections forecaster, The Cook Political Report, this week changed its rating for the race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican.”