View source for Steve King

{{Short description|American politician (born 1949)}}
{{hatnote group|
{{for|the author|Stephen King}}
{{for|other people named Steve King|Steve King (disambiguation)}}
}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{npov|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name          = Steve King
|image         = Steve King, official Congressional photo portrait.jpg
|state         = [[Iowa]]
|term_start    = January 3, 2003
|term_end      = January 3, 2021
|predecessor   = [[Greg Ganske]]
|successor     = [[Randy Feenstra]]
|constituency  = {{ushr|IA|5|C}} (2003–2013)<br>{{ushr|IA|4|4th district}} (2013–2021)
|state_senate1 = Iowa
|district1     = [[Iowa's 6th Senate district|6th]]
|term_start1   = January 13, 1997
|term_end1     = January 2, 2003
|predecessor1  = [[Wayne D. Bennett|Wayne Bennett]]
|successor1    = [[E. Thurman Gaskill|Thurman Gaskill]]
|birth_name    = Steven Arnold King
|birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1949|5|28}}
|birth_place   = [[Storm Lake, Iowa]], U.S.
|death_date    = 
|death_place   = 
|education     = [[Northwest Missouri State University]]
|party         = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|spouse        = {{marriage|Marilyn King|1972}}
|children      = 3
|module        = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=Rep. Steve King Speaks on Reforming the United Nations.ogg |title=King's voice |type=speech |description=King on the need for [[Reform of the United Nations|UN reform]].<br>Recorded June 9, 2005}}
}}
'''Steven Arnold King''' (born May 28, 1949) is an American former politician and businessman who served as a [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] from Iowa from 2003 to 2021. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], he represented [[Iowa's 5th congressional district]] until 2013 and the state's [[Iowa's 4th congressional district|4th congressional district]] from 2013 to 2021.

Born in 1949 in [[Storm Lake, Iowa]], King attended [[Northwest Missouri State University]] from 1967 to 1970. He founded a construction company in 1975 and worked in business and environmental study before seeking the Republican nomination for [[Iowa Senate, District 6|a seat]] in the [[Iowa Senate]] in 1996. He won the primary and the general election, and was reelected in 2000. In [[2002 United States House of Representatives elections|2002]] King was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from [[Iowa's 5th congressional district]] after the incumbent, [[Tom Latham (politician)|Tom Latham]], was reassigned to the [[Iowa's 4th congressional district|4th district]] after redistricting. He was reelected four times before the [[2010 United States census]] removed the 5th district and placed King in the 4th, which he represented from 2013.

King is an opponent of [[Immigration to the United States|immigration]] and [[multiculturalism]], and has a long history of [[Racism in the United States|racist]] and anti-immigrant rhetoric.<ref name=":8">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-the-wake-of-the-pittsburgh-attack-rep-steve-kings-iowa-supporters-brush-aside-concern-about-his-white-nationalist-views/2018/10/28/a16b7044-dabf-11e8-b732-3c72cbf131f2_story.html |title=Following the Pittsburgh attack, Rep. Steve King's Iowa supporters brush aside concern about his white nationalist views |last=Zauzmer |first=Julie |date=October 28, 2018 |access-date=November 5, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105202735/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-the-wake-of-the-pittsburgh-attack-rep-steve-kings-iowa-supporters-brush-aside-concern-about-his-white-nationalist-views/2018/10/28/a16b7044-dabf-11e8-b732-3c72cbf131f2_story.html |archive-date=November 5, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="nyt-timeline" /><ref name="nyt-removed">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 14, 2019 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html |title=Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark |first1=Trip |last1=Gabriel |first2=Jonathan |last2=Martin |first3=Nicholas |last3=Fandos |access-date=January 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115181912/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2018 ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described King as "the Congressman most openly affiliated with white nationalism."<ref name=":8" /> King has been criticized for his affiliation with [[white supremacist]] ideas,<ref>{{cite news |website=[[CNN]] |title=House GOP campaign chief blasts Iowa Rep. Steve King's 'white supremacy and hate' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/30/politics/steve-king-nrcc-chair-white-supremacy/index.html |date=October 30, 2018 |first=Eric |last=Bradner |access-date=January 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117065955/https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/30/politics/steve-king-nrcc-chair-white-supremacy/index.html |archive-date=January 17, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> made controversial statements against immigrants,<ref name=Mendelsohn /><ref name=":3">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/rep-steve-king-u-s-doesnt-need-somebody-elses-babies |title=Rep. Steve King: U.S. doesn't need 'somebody else's babies' |date=March 13, 2017 |website=[[PBS NewsHour]]|access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=King is known for making racially charged commentary |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803163713/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/rep-steve-king-u-s-doesnt-need-somebody-elses-babies |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=Rosenberg>{{cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Eli|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/06/13/a-gop-congressman-retweeted-a-self-described-nazi-sympathizer-his-party-did-not-rebuke-him/|title=A GOP congressman retweeted a self-described 'Nazi sympathizer.' His party did not rebuke him. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=King, whose racially inflected comments on subjects such as immigration and Western culture have drawn headlines for years |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726105609/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/06/13/a-gop-congressman-retweeted-a-self-described-nazi-sympathizer-his-party-did-not-rebuke-him/ |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and supported European [[right-wing populist]] and [[Far-right politics|far-right]] politicians who have engaged in racism, [[anti-Semitism]] and [[Islamophobia]].<ref name="wilders-bbc">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39250251 |title=Steve King tweet backing Geert Wilders sparks social media backlash |access-date=March 14, 2017 |website=[[BBC News]] |date=March 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314073219/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39250251 |archive-date=March 14, 2017 |url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

For much of King's congressional tenure, Republican politicians and officials were silent about his rhetoric, and frequently sought his endorsement and campaigned with him because of his popularity with northwest Iowa's voters.<ref name="nyt-removed"/><ref name="nyt-rebuked">{{cite news | work = [[The New York Times]]|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/steve-king-republicans-white-supremacy-.html | title = Steve King's White Supremacy Remark Is Rebuked by Iowa's Republican Senators | first = Trip | last = Gabriel | date = January 11, 2019 | access-date = January 15, 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190115163757/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/11/us/politics/steve-king-republicans-white-supremacy-.html | archive-date = January 15, 2019 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Shortly before the [[United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2018|2018 election]], the [[National Republican Congressional Committee]] withdrew funding for King's reelection campaign and its chairman, [[Steve Stivers]], condemned King's conduct, although Iowa's Republican senators and governor continued to endorse him.<ref name="nyt-rebuked"/><ref name="Mangan">{{Cite news|last=Mangan|first=Dan|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/gop-fund-wont-help-steve-king-in-tight-race-due-to-white-supremacist-support.html|title=GOP fund won't help Rep. Steve King in Iowa race due to his support for white supremacists|work=[[CNBC]]|date=October 31, 2018|access-date=November 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103001032/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/gop-fund-wont-help-steve-king-in-tight-race-due-to-white-supremacist-support.html|archive-date=November 3, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> King was narrowly reelected, but after a January 2019 interview in which he questioned the negative connotations of the terms "white nationalist" and "white supremacy",<ref name=GabrielAgenda /> he was widely condemned by both parties, the media, and public figures, and the [[Steering and Policy Committees of the United States House of Representatives|Republican Steering Committee]] removed him from all House committee assignments.<ref>{{Cite news|last=DeBonis|first=Mike|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-democrats-move-to-censure-rep-steve-king-over-racial-statements/2019/01/14/a56854e4-182e-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html|title=House Republican leaders move to strip Rep. Steve King of his committee assignments over comments about white nationalism|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 14, 2019|access-date=January 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114224705/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-democrats-move-to-censure-rep-steve-king-over-racial-statements/2019/01/14/a56854e4-182e-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html|archive-date=January 14, 2019|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> King ran for [[2020 Iowa's 4th congressional district election|reelection]] but, campaign funding and support having declined, lost the June 2020 Republican primary to [[Randy Feenstra]] by 10 points.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zhou |first1=Li |title=Embattled Republican Rep. Steve King has lost his primary |url=https://www.vox.com/2020/6/2/21278465/steve-king-loses-primary-randy-feenstra |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]]|location=New York City|date=June 2, 2020|access-date=June 2, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/02/us/elections/results-iowa-house-district-4-primary-election.html?action=click&module=ELEX_results&pgtype=Interactive&region=RaceTitle | title=Iowa Primary Election Results: Fourth Congressional District| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| date=June 24, 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life, education, and business career==
King was born on May 28, 1949, in [[Storm Lake, Iowa]],<ref name=GabrielAgenda>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/steve-king-trump-immigration-wall.html|title=Before Trump, Steve King Set the Agenda for the Wall and Anti-Immigrant Politics|last=Gabriel|first=Trip|date=January 10, 2019|work=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|access-date=January 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110172154/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/steve-king-trump-immigration-wall.html|archive-date=January 10, 2019|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> the son of Mildred Lila (née Culler), a homemaker, and Emmett A. King, a [[State police (United States)|state police]] dispatcher.<ref name=bioart1>{{cite web |url=http://offenburger.com/lspaper.asp?link=20021030 |title=Dealing with it: Steve King is western Iowa's U.S. congressman (for a long time) |first=Chuck |last=Offenburger |date=October 30, 2002 |access-date=October 5, 2013|website=Offenburger.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006161532/http://offenburger.com/lspaper.asp?link=20021030 |archive-date=October 6, 2013}}</ref> His father has [[Irish Americans|Irish]] and [[German Americans|German]] ancestry, and his mother has [[Welsh Americans|Welsh]] roots, as well as American ancestry going back to the [[Colonial history of the United States|colonial era]].<ref name=bioart1/> His grandmother was a German immigrant.<ref name=Mendelsohn/> King graduated in 1967 from Denison Community High School.<ref name=GabrielAgenda /><ref name=bioart1/><ref name="WAPO"/> In 1972, he married Marilyn Kelly,<ref>{{cite news |first=Bret |last=Hayworth |title=STEVE KING: Cool and calculated, he's developed a national profile as a staunch conservative |newspaper=[[Sioux City Journal]] |url=https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/steve-king-cool-and-calculated-he-s-developed-a-national/article_0bcc6ae3-393c-55a5-9637-d7301c479751.html |date=August 11, 2012 |location=Sioux City, IA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015418/https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/steve-king-cool-and-calculated-he-s-developed-a-national/article_0bcc6ae3-393c-55a5-9637-d7301c479751.html |archive-date=November 1, 2018 |access-date=October 31, 2018}}</ref> with whom he has three children. Though raised [[United Methodist Church|Methodist]], King attends his wife's [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholic]] church, having converted 17 years after marrying her.<ref name=bioart1/> His son Jeff King, a consultant, has been active in his political campaigns.

King attended [[Northwest Missouri State University]] from 1967 to 1970, where he was a member of the [[Alpha Kappa Lambda]] fraternity and majored in math and biology, but did not graduate.<ref name=bioart1/><ref>{{cite web |title=Steve King |publisher=[[KCCI]] |url=http://www.kcci.com/politics/1650801/detail.html |access-date=July 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307191000/http://www.kcci.com/politics/1650801/detail.html |archive-date=March 7, 2012}}</ref> In 1975, King founded King Construction, an [[earthmoving]] company.<ref name=GabrielAgenda /> In the 1980s, he founded the Kiron Business Association. King's involvement with the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors' Association led to regional and national offices in that organization and a growing interest in public policy.<ref name="WAPO">{{cite news |title=Steve King (R) |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/elections/2004/candidates/22395/ |access-date=July 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110224515/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/elections/2004/candidates/22395/ |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Alvarez |title=Stephen Colbert Tries To Figure Out Whether Rep. Steve King Impregnated A Dog |url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/stephen-colbert-tries-to-figure-out-whether-rep-steve-king-impregnated-a-dog/ |website=[[Mediaite]] |location=New York City |date=August 8, 2012 |access-date=July 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601065832/http://www.mediaite.com/tv/stephen-colbert-tries-to-figure-out-whether-rep-steve-king-impregnated-a-dog/ |archive-date=June 1, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Iowa State Senate (1997–2003)==
[[File:Steve A. King - Official Portrait - 79th GA.jpg|thumb|King as an Iowa state senator]]

In 1996, King was elected to [[Iowa Senate, District 6|Iowa's 6th Senate district]], defeating incumbent senator [[Wayne D. Bennett|Wayne Bennett]] in the primary 68%–31%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=830939 |title=Our Campaigns – IA State Senate 06 - R Primary |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=December 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213081932/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=830939 |archive-date=December 13, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> and [[Democratic Party (US)|Democrat]] Eileen Heiden in the general election 64%–35%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=458601 |title=Our Campaigns – IA State Senate 06 Race – Nov 05, 1996 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402151233/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=458601 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2000, he won reelection to a second term, defeating [[Democratic Party (US)|Democratic]] nominee Dennis Ryan 70%–30%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=458602 |title=Our Campaigns – IA State Senate 06 Race – Nov 07, 2000 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112639/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=458602 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> During his tenure in the Iowa State Senate, King filed a bill requiring public schools to teach children that the U.S. "is the unchallenged greatest nation in the world and that it has derived its strength from...&nbsp;[[Christianity]], [[Laissez-faire|free enterprise]] [[capitalism]] and [[Western culture|Western civilization]]", and served as chief sponsor of a [[English-only movement|law making English the official language]] of Iowa.<ref name="nyt-timeline">{{cite news |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York City |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/us/politics/steve-king-offensive-quotes.html |title=A Timeline of Steve King's Racist Remarks and Divisive Actions |first=Trip |last=Gabriel |date=January 15, 2019 |access-date=January 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116035631/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/us/politics/steve-king-offensive-quotes.html |archive-date=January 16, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==U.S. House of Representatives (2003–2021)==

===Elections===
;2002
[[File:Steve King by Gage Skidmore.jpg|right|thumb|Steve King at an event in Ames, Iowa, in August 2011]]
In 2002, after [[redistricting]], King ran for the open seat in [[Iowa's 5th congressional district]]. The incumbent, fellow Republican [[Tom Latham (politician)|Tom Latham]], had his home drawn into the reconfigured [[Iowa's 4th congressional district|4th district]]. King finished first in the four-way Republican primary with 31% of the vote,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=96961|title=Our Campaigns – IA – District 05 – R Primary Race – Jun 04, 2002 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722215348/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=96961|archive-date=July 22, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> less than the 35% voting threshold needed to win; subsequently, a [[nominating convention]] was held, at which he was nominated, defeating state house speaker [[Brent Siegrist]] 51%–47%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=458603 |title=Our Campaigns – IA District 5 – R Convention Race – Jun 29, 2002 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722215540/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=458603 |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://kingforcongress.com/clippings/CQ-rightward%20movement.htm |title=Giroux, Gregory L., ''King Promises Rightward Movement for Iowa ,'' CQ Daily Monitor, 7/5/2002 |access-date=December 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040130090345/http://kingforcongress.com/clippings/CQ-rightward%20movement.htm |archive-date=January 30, 2004}}</ref> King won the general election, defeating [[Council Bluffs, Iowa|Council Bluffs]] city councilman [[Paul Shomshor]] 62%–38%. He won all the counties in the predominantly Republican district except [[Pottawattamie County, Iowa|Pottawattamie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=976 |title=Our Campaigns – IA District 5 Race – Nov 05, 2002 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722215420/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=976 |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;2004
King won reelection to a second term, defeating Democratic candidate Joyce Schulte, 63%–37%. He won all the counties in the district except [[Clarke County, Iowa|Clarke]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=4145 |title=Our Campaigns – IA – District 05 Race – Nov 02, 2004 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110425/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=4145 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;2006
{{see also|2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 5}}
In 2006, King won reelection to a third term, defeating Schulte again, 59%–36%. He won all the counties in the district except Clarke and [[Union County, Iowa|Union]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=206934 |title=Our Campaigns – IA – District 05 Race – Nov 07, 2006 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402134247/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=206934 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>[http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/staff/StatewideSummary.pdf "Iowa Statewide Election Summary" (pdf)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061115212719/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/staff/StatewideSummary.pdf |date=November 15, 2006}}, Sos.state.ia.us, November 9, 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2006.</ref>

;2008
{{see also|2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 5}}
King won reelection to a fourth term, defeating Democratic candidate Rob Hubler, 60%–37%. For the first time in his career he won all 32 counties in his district.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=357505 |title=Our Campaigns – IA – District 05 Race – Nov 04, 2008 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402093010/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=357505 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2008/OfficialCanvass2008General.pdf |title=Iowa Secretary of State - Paul D. Pate |website=Sos.state.ia.us |access-date=March 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325020702/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2008/OfficialCanvass2008General.pdf |archive-date=March 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;2010
{{see also|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 5}}
King won reelection to a fifth term, defeating [[Matt Campbell (politician)|Matt Campbell]], 66%–32%. That was his highest percentage yet. King also won all 32 counties again.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=489192 |title=Our Campaigns – IA – District 05 Race – Nov 02, 2010 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121628/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=489192 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2010/usreporr.pdf |title=Iowa Secretary of State – Matt Schultz |publisher=Sos.state.ia.us |access-date=August 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119151621/http://www.sos.state.ia.us/pdfs/elections/2010/usreporr.pdf |archive-date=November 19, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;2012
{{see also|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4}}
Iowa lost a district as a result of the 2010 census. King's district was renumbered the 4th, and pushed well to the east, absorbing [[Mason City, Iowa|Mason City]] and [[Ames, Iowa|Ames]]. This placed King and his predecessor, Latham, in the same district. Latham opted to move to the reconfigured 3rd District to challenge Democratic incumbent [[Leonard Boswell]]. The reconfigured district was, at least on paper, much more competitive than King's old district. The old 5th had a [[Cook Partisan Voting Index]] of R+9, while the new 4th had a PVI of R+4. The new 4th was also mostly new to King; he retained only 45% of his former territory. It closely resembled the territory that Latham had represented from 1995 to 2003.

Soon afterward, former Iowa first lady [[Christie Vilsack]], the wife of former governor and then current U.S. agriculture secretary [[Tom Vilsack]], announced she was moving to the new 4th to challenge King. King received the endorsement of [[Mitt Romney]], who said, "I'm looking here at Steve King because this man needs to be your congressman again. I want him as my partner in Washington, D.C."<ref>{{cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Jennifer |url=http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/09/07/firebrand-steve-king-tells-siouxland-not-to-doubt-romneys-faith-in-jesus/ |title=Firebrand Steve King tells Siouxland not to doubt Romney's faith in Jesus |work=[[Des Moines Register]] |access-date=September 8, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121201036/http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/09/07/firebrand-steve-king-tells-siouxland-not-to-doubt-romneys-faith-in-jesus |archive-date=January 21, 2013}}</ref> King won reelection to a sixth term, defeating Vilsack 53%–45%. King won all but seven counties, none of which he had previously represented: [[Webster County, Iowa|Webster]], [[Boone County, Iowa|Boone]], [[Story County, Iowa|Story]], [[Chickasaw County, Iowa|Chickasaw]], [[Floyd County, Iowa|Floyd]], [[Cerro Gordo County, Iowa|Cerro Gordo]], and [[Winnebago County, Iowa|Winnebago]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=705017 |title=Our Campaigns – IA – District 04 Race – Nov 06, 2012 |publisher=Ourcampaigns.com |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019011957/http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=705017 |archive-date=October 19, 2014|url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=CON&map=CTY |title=SOS, Iowa |publisher=Electionresults.sos.iowa.gov |access-date=January 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524011455/http://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=CON&map=CTY |archive-date=May 24, 2013}}</ref> King later said of his 2012 victory, "I faced $7 million, the best of everything Democrats can throw at me, their dream candidate and everything that can come from the Obama machine, and prevailed through all of that with 55 percent of my district that was new."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/can-steve-king-win-iowa-senate-seat-86820_Page2.html#ixzz2JNbtaCcR |title=Can Steve King win Iowa Senate seat? |first1=Jake|last1=Sherman|first2=James|last2=Hohmann|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402220230/http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/can-steve-king-win-iowa-senate-seat-86820_Page2.html#ixzz2JNbtaCcR |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;2014
{{see also|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4}}
On May 3, 2013, King announced that he would not run for the [[U.S. Senate]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve King not running for Iowa Senate Seat|url=http://www.quintonreport.com/2013/05/03/steve-king-not-running-for-iowa-senate-seat/|publisher=The Quinton Report|access-date=May 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508033020/http://www.quintonreport.com/2013/05/03/steve-king-not-running-for-iowa-senate-seat/|archive-date=May 8, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

King won reelection with 61.6% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Jim Mowrer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/Views/TabularData.aspx?TabView=StateRaces^Federal%20/%20Statewide%20Races^84&ElectionID=84|title=Iowa General Election 2014|publisher=Iowa Secretary of State|date=November 4, 2014|access-date=January 7, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213012027/http://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/Views/TabularData.aspx?TabView=StateRaces%5EFederal%20%2F%20Statewide%20Races%5E84&ElectionID=84|archive-date=December 13, 2014}}</ref>

;2016
{{see also|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4}}
King won reelection, receiving 61.2% of the vote to Democratic nominee Kim Weaver's 38.6%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/Views/TabularData.aspx?TabView=StateRaces^Federal%20%2F%20Statewide%20Races^86&ElectionID=86|title=Iowa General Election 2016|publisher=Iowa Secretary of State|date=November 8, 2014|access-date=October 19, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224162855/https://electionresults.sos.iowa.gov/Views/TabularData.aspx?TabView=StateRaces%5EFederal%20%2F%20Statewide%20Races%5E86&ElectionID=86|archive-date=December 24, 2016}}</ref>

;2018
{{see also|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4}}
{{see also|#Racist comments, controversies and far-right politics}}
King faced his closest race to date in 2018, receiving 50.4% of the vote to 47% for Democratic nominee [[J. D. Scholten]]; Libertarian candidate Charles Aldrich received 2%.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/iowa-house-district-4?module=inline |title=Iowa's Fourth House District Election Results: Steve King vs. J.D. Scholten |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 28, 2019 |access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> King likely prevailed due to Governor [[Kim Reynolds]] carrying the district with almost 61 percent of the vote in her bid for a full term.<ref name=CrystalBall>{{cite web|url=http://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/house-primaries-a-little-more-action-this-year-than-usual/|title=House Primaries: A Little More Action This Year Than Usual|last=Coleman|first=J. Miles|website=UVA Center For Politics|date=July 30, 2020|access-date=August 4, 2020}}</ref> Turnout was down from the 2016 election; 370,259 voted in 2016, compared to 313,251 in 2018.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

It was the closest a Democrat has come to winning what is now the 4th since [[Berkley Bedell]] left office in what was then the 6th District in 1986. That year, Republican [[Fred Grandy]] won with only 50.1 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=38250 |title=Our Campaigns - IA District 6 Race - Nov 04, 1986 |access-date=January 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120043039/https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=38250 |archive-date=January 20, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Since then, the only other time a Republican has not won election by double digits in this district (which became the 5th in 1993 and the 4th in 2013) was King's 2012 race against Vilsack,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leys |first=Tony |title=Steve King defeats newcomer Scholten, retains seat in reliably Republican 4th District |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/05/iowa-election-2018-4th-congressional-district-republican-steve-king-democrat-jd-scholten-vote-house/1732662002/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}}</ref> which King won by less than 8 percentage points.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Iowa Secretary of State |title=Iowa Secretary of State 2012 General Election Canvass Summary |url=https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/2012/general/canvsummary.pdf#page=20 |access-date=June 30, 2025 |page=20}}</ref>

;2020
{{see also|2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa#District 4}}
In the wake of being stripped of his committee seats, King faced a credible primary challenger in State Senator [[Randy Feenstra]], who represented much of the district's northwest portion. Feenstra outraised King by a significant margin.<ref name=CrystalBall/> Ultimately, King lost to Feenstra, taking 36.7 percent of the vote to Feenstra's 45.7 percent.<ref>{{cite web |last=Basu |first=Zachary |title=Iowa Rep. Steve King defeated in GOP primary |url=https://www.axios.com/steve-king-iowa-primary-0f573843-c5e3-4246-a92c-1c0ce72efcdf.html |access-date=2020-06-03 |website=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|date=June 3, 2020 }}</ref>

===Tenure===
King is considered an outspoken fiscal and social conservative. After winning the 2002 Republican nomination, he said that he intended to use his seat in Congress to "move the political center of gravity in Congress to the right."<ref>Thompson, Kate. {{cite web |url=http://www.kingforcongress.com/news/070102scjournal.htm |title=Fifth District Republicans Crown Their King |access-date=April 5, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210000247/http://www.kingforcongress.com/news/070102scjournal.htm |archive-date=February 10, 2007}} ''Sioux City Journal'', June 30, 2002.</ref> During the [[110th United States Congress|110th Congress]], King voted with the majority of the Republican Party 90.9% of the time.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000362/ |title=Votes Database – Steve King |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=October 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924173942/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000362/ |archive-date=September 24, 2008 }}</ref> He has continuously voted for Iraq War legislation, supported surge{{clarify|date=January 2019}} efforts and opposed a time table for troop withdrawals. During the [[112th United States Congress]] King was one of 40 "staunch" members of the [[Republican Study Committee]] who frequently voted against Republican party leadership and vocally expressed displeasure with House bills.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/us/politics/house-freshmen-not-as-defiant-as-their-reputation-suggests.html?_r=1&hp |title=G.O.P. Freshmen Not as Defiant as Reputation Suggests |first=Jennifer |last=Steinhauer |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 16, 2012 |access-date=February 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701073547/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/us/politics/house-freshmen-not-as-defiant-as-their-reputation-suggests.html?_r=1&hp|archive-date=July 1, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In August 2015, King was named the least effective member of Congress by InsideGov due to his persistent failures to get legislation out of committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members-of-congress.insidegov.com/stories/5278/least-effective-members-congress#36-Least-Effective-Members-of-Congress|title=These Are the Least-Effective Members of Congress|last=Greer|first=Alex|publisher=InsideGov|date=August 6, 2015|access-date=September 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019001607/http://members-of-congress.insidegov.com/stories/5278/least-effective-members-congress#36-Least-Effective-Members-of-Congress|archive-date=October 19, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> On December 18, 2019, King voted against [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|both articles of impeachment against Trump]], as did all 195 Republicans who voted.

==== Committee assignments ====
King served on the [[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|Judiciary]], [[United States House Committee on Agriculture|Agriculture]], and [[United States House Committee on Small Business|Small Business Committees]] until January 14, 2019, when he was removed from all committee assignments after bipartisan condemnation of his remarks on white supremacy.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gabriel|first1=Trip|last2=Martin|first2=Jonathan|last3=Fandos|first3=Nicholas|title=Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 14, 2019|access-date=March 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206200928/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html|archive-date=February 6, 2019|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

'''Caucus memberships'''

* [[Republican Study Committee]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Member List|url=https://rsc-walker.house.gov/|publisher=Republican Study Committee|access-date=December 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222002744/http://rsc-walker.house.gov/|archive-date=December 22, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* [[Tea Party Caucus]]
*[[Congressional Constitution Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|publisher=Congressional Constitution Caucus|access-date=May 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614044928/https://congressionalconstitutioncaucus-garrett.house.gov/about-us/membership|archive-date=June 14, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
*[[Congressional Western Caucus]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|publisher=Congressional Western Caucus|access-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625185153/https://westerncaucus.house.gov/about/membership.htm|archive-date=June 25, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Political positions==
===Abortion===
King opposes abortion.<ref name=":5">{{cite news |first=Corky |last=Siemaszko |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/steve-king-stirs-controversy-d-c-still-popular-iowa-n734071 |title=Congressman with controversial views on race is still popular in Iowa |work=[[NBC News]] |location=New York City |date=March 16, 2017 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904030714/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/steve-king-stirs-controversy-d-c-still-popular-iowa-n734071 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He has a 100% rating from the [[National Right to Life Committee]], indicating an [[anti-abortion]] voting record. King has also voted against allowing [[Stem cell controversy|human embryonic stem cell research]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Steve_King_Abortion.htm#06n-NRLC |title=Steve King on Abortion |publisher=[[On the Issues]] |access-date=August 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812101223/http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Steve_King_Abortion.htm#06n-NRLC |archive-date=August 12, 2010 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He supports the [[No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act]], which would ban federal funding of abortions except in cases of what the bill calls "[[forcible rape]]". This would remove the coverage from [[Medicaid]] that covers abortions for victims of [[statutory rape]] or [[incest]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Leigh |first=Heather |title=Rep. Steve King on the Campaign Trail|url=http://www.siouxlandnews.com/story/19324372/rep-steve-king-on-the-campaign-trail |website=KMEG14 |access-date=November 18, 2012 |date=August 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030034745/http://www.siouxlandnews.com/story/19324372/rep-steve-king-on-the-campaign-trail |archive-date=October 30, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

After [[Todd Akin]] made a controversial statement about "[[Rape and pregnancy statement controversies in the 2012 United States elections|legitimate rape]]" on August 19, 2012, King came to his defense, characterizing the critical response as "petty personal attacks" and calling Akin a "strong Christian man".<ref>{{cite news|last=Joseph|first=Cameron|title=Rep. Steve King defends Akin as a "strong Christian man"|url=https://thehill.com/video/house/244553-steve-king-defends-todd-akin-as-a-qstrong-christian-manq/|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=November 20, 2012|date=August 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126201956/http://thehill.com/video/house/244553-steve-king-defends-todd-akin-as-a-qstrong-christian-manq|archive-date=November 26, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Leigh|first=Heather|title=Rep. Steve King on the Campaign Trail|url=http://www.siouxlandnews.com/story/19324372/rep-steve-king-on-the-campaign-trail|publisher=Siouxland News|access-date=August 6, 2013|date=August 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817084946/http://www.siouxlandnews.com/story/19324372/rep-steve-king-on-the-campaign-trail|archive-date=August 17, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> King said that Akin's voting record should be more important than his words.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2012/08/21/steve-king-im-no-todd-akin/ |title=Steve King: I'm No Todd Akin |date=August 21, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last=Weiner |first=Rachel |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713160749/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2012/08/21/steve-king-im-no-todd-akin/ |archive-date=July 13, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-steve-king-backs-up-todd-akin-weighs-in-on-rape-and-abortion/ |title=Rep. Steve King backs up Todd Akin, weighs in on rape and abortion |date=August 21, 2012 |work=[[CBS News]] |last=Condon |first=Stephanie |access-date=August 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003120746/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-steve-king-backs-up-todd-akin-weighs-in-on-rape-and-abortion/ |archive-date=October 3, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/08/king-rape-remarks-out-of-context-079955 |title=Steve King: Rape remarks out of context |date=August 21, 2012 |work=[[Politico]] |last=Glueck |first=Katie |access-date=August 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104074322/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79955.html |archive-date=January 4, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Six months later, King's defense of Akin (who lost his race) was seen as politically damaging by [[Steven J. Law]] of the [[Conservative Victory Project]], a group including [[Karl Rove]] that was working to discourage conservative candidates they deemed unelectable, to enable more viable conservative candidates to gain office. Law said, "We're concerned about Steve King's Todd Akin problem."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/politics/top-gop-donors-seek-greater-say-in-senate-races.html?pagewanted=all |title=Top Donors to Republicans Seek More Say in Senate Races |date=February 2, 2013 |last=Zeleny |first=Jeff |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=February 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605232820/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/politics/top-gop-donors-seek-greater-say-in-senate-races.html?pagewanted=all |archive-date=June 5, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.omaha.com/news/don-t-count-steve-king-out-if-he-runs-for/article_e9586559-c5f8-5844-ae73-333dcdbc9ff2.html |title=Don't count Steve King out if he runs for Senate, Harkin says |date=March 6, 2013 |last=Morton |first=Joseph |agency=World-Herald Bureau |publisher=Omaha.com |access-date=August 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726071954/https://www.omaha.com/news/don-t-count-steve-king-out-if-he-runs-for/article_e9586559-c5f8-5844-ae73-333dcdbc9ff2.html |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

King sponsored legislation to ban abortion of a fetus that has a detectable heartbeat, which can in some cases occur as early as 6 weeks (before many women know they are pregnant). A physician who performs a prohibited abortion would be subject to a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion could not be prosecuted for violating the provisions of this bill.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/24/congress-heartbeat-bill-roe-v-wade-steve-king-republicans|title=Republicans push federal 'heartbeat' bill in longshot bid to overturn Roe v Wade|last1=Gambino|first1=Lauren|last2=Redden|first2=Molly|date=January 24, 2017|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en|access-date=August 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194023/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/24/congress-heartbeat-bill-roe-v-wade-steve-king-republicans|archive-date=August 3, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In August 2019, while defending his opposition to abortion in cases of rape or incest, King asked, "What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or [[incest]]? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?"<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Tom |title=Republican Steve King: if not for incest and rape 'would there be any population left?' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/14/steve-king-iowa-republican-rape-incest-abortion |access-date=August 14, 2019 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stevens|first=Matt|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/us/politics/steve-king-rape-incest.html|title=Steve King Asks if There Would Be 'Any Population' Left Without Rape and Incest|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 14, 2019|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> Iowa State Senator [[Randy Feenstra]], who went on to defeat King in the 2020 Republican primary, tweeted: "I am 100% pro-life but Steve King's bizarre comments and behavior diminish our message & damage our cause".<ref>{{cite news|last=Sonmez|first=Felicia|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rep-steve-king-says-humanity-might-not-exist-if-not-for-rape-and-incest/2019/08/14/0b60357a-beb8-11e9-9b73-fd3c65ef8f9c_story.html|title=Rep. Steve King says humanity might not exist if not for rape and incest|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=August 14, 2019|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> [[Wyoming]] representative [[Liz Cheney]] called King's comments "appalling and bizarre" and called for his resignation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cabrera|first1=Cristina|title=Liz Cheney Once Again Calls For King To Resign After His Comments On Rape, Incest|url=https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/liz-cheney-call-steve-king-resign-comment-rape-incest|website=[[Talking Points Memo]]|quote=Liz Cheney: Today’s comments by @RepSteveKingIA are appalling and bizarre. As I’ve said before, it’s time for him to go. The people of Iowa’s 4th congressional district deserve better.|date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> King's comments were also criticized by [[Steve Scalise]], [[Kevin McCarthy]], [[Donald Trump]], and Elise Jordan.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Henderson|first1=Alex|title=5 conservatives who blasted Steve King's appalling defense of rape and incest|url=https://www.salon.com/2019/08/16/5-conservatives-who-blasted-steve-kings-appalling-defense-of-rape-and-incest_partner/|website=[[Salon (website)|Salon.com]]|date=August 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Pappas|first1=Alex|title=Trump knocks Rep. Steve King for 'rape or incest' comment|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rep-steve-king-rape-incest-comments|website=[[Fox News]]|date=August 15, 2019}}</ref>

===Animal rights===
In February 2010, King [[tweeted]] about chasing and shooting a raccoon that had tried to enter his house during a blizzard, prompting criticism from animal rights groups. He defended his actions, saying the animal might have been [[rabid]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Bret|last=Hayworth |title=King's raccoon run-in draws PETA's scorn |url=http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_07591d82-1064-58d2-aabf-3b8d6b78f953.html |work=Sioux City Journal |location=Sioux City, IA |date=February 17, 2010 |access-date=September 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305194828/http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_07591d82-1064-58d2-aabf-3b8d6b78f953.html |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In July 2012, King opposed the McGovern Amendment (to the 2012 [[United States farm bill|Farm Bill]]) to establish [[misdemeanor]] penalties for knowingly attending an organized [[blood sport|animal fight]] and [[felony]] penalties for bringing a minor to such a fight. He was also one of 39 House members to vote against an upgrade of penalties for transporting fighting animals across state lines in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=The HSUS Calls Out Steve King on Opposition to Anti-Dogfighting Bill |url=http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/08/steve_king_dogfighting_081212.html |publisher=The U.S. Humane Society |access-date=September 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815003401/http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/08/steve_king_dogfighting_081212.html |archive-date=August 15, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> King received a score of zero on the 2012 [[Humane Society]] Legislative Fund's ''Humane Scorecard''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Humane Scorecard|url=http://www.hslf.org/pdfs/HumaneScorecard-2012-online-preview.pdf|work=Final Report for the 112th Congress Preview Version—September 2012|publisher=Humane Society Legislative Fund|access-date=November 30, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123084528/http://www.hslf.org/pdfs/HumaneScorecard-2012-online-preview.pdf|archive-date=November 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://article.wn.com/view/2013/05/16/Congressional_Votes_on_Farm_Bill_Bring_Good_News_Bad_News_fo/#/related_news|title=Congressional Votes on Farm Bill Bring Good News, Bad News for Animals (The Humane Society of the United States)|work=World News|access-date=January 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402190225/http://article.wn.com/view/2013/05/16/Congressional_Votes_on_Farm_Bill_Bring_Good_News_Bad_News_fo/#/related_news|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agri-pulse.com/House-ag-committee-passes-farm-bill-05152013.asp|last=Gonzalez|first=Sarah|title=House Agriculture Committee passes new farm bill|publisher=Agri-pulse.com|access-date=January 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402114227/http://www.agri-pulse.com/House-ag-committee-passes-farm-bill-05152013.asp|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Afterward, he put out a video clarifying his position, stating that it would be putting animals above humans if it were legal to watch humans fight but not animals.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jason|last=Noble|url=http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/08/10/steve-king-clarifies-opposition-to-animal-fighting-legislation-responds-to-stephen-colbert/article|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130728060052/http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/08/10/steve-king-clarifies-opposition-to-animal-fighting-legislation-responds-to-stephen-colbert/article|url-status=dead|title=Steve King clarifies opposition to animal-fighting legislation; responds to Stephen Colbert|newspaper=[[Des Moines Register]]|publisher=[[Gannett]]|location=Des Moines, Iowa|date=August 10, 2012|archive-date=July 28, 2013}}</ref>

On September 24, 2010, comedian [[Stephen Colbert]] testified to the House Agriculture Committee about the working conditions of migrant farmworkers. King said he wanted to eliminate them, replacing them with "everyday American workers". He also said, "Maybe we should be spending less time watching [[Comedy Central]] and more time considering all the real jobs that are out there, ones that require real hard labor". He praised the "[[Joe the Plumber]]s of the world who many days would prefer the aroma of fresh dirt to that of the sewage from American elitists who disparage them even as they flush." Colbert, in his [[Stephen Colbert (character)|faux-conservative character]], lampooned King. "This is America! I don't want a tomato picked by a Mexican! I want it picked by an American, then sliced by a Guatemalan, and served by a Venezuelan in a spa where a Chilean gives me a [[Brazilian wax|Brazilian]]."<ref>{{cite news|first=Dana|last=Milbank|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/roughsketch/2010/09/stephen_colbert_comes_face_to.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923121713/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/roughsketch/2010/09/stephen_colbert_comes_face_to.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 23, 2018|title=Stephen Colbert comes face-to-face with angry conservatives|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|publisher=[[Nash Holdings]]|location=Washington, D.C.|date=September 24, 2010|access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref>

In July 2012, King introduced an amendment to the House Farm Bill that would legalize previously banned [[animal agriculture]] practices such as [[docking (animal)|tail-docking]], using banned arsenic-based drugs in chicken feed, and keeping impregnated pigs in small crates. "My language wipes out everything they've done with pork and veal," King said of his amendment.<ref>{{cite web|title=Congressman brags his bill will 'wipe out' animal rights laws|url=http://now.msn.com/rep-steve-king-sponsored-an-amendment-to-reverse-animal-rights-laws?o|publisher=MSN|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012110130/http://now.msn.com/rep-steve-king-sponsored-an-amendment-to-reverse-animal-rights-laws?ocid=vt_twmsnnow|archive-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref> The [[Humane Society of the United States]] (HSUS) President [[Wayne Pacelle]] said the measure could nullify "any laws to protect animals, and perhaps ... laws to protect the environment, workers, or public safety."<ref>{{cite news|last=Robbins|first=John|title=Will the Farm Bill Nullify Laws Against Animal Cruelty?|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/farm-bill-animal-cruelty_b_1692264.html|work=[[HuffPost]]|date=July 21, 2012|access-date=June 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624140632/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/farm-bill-animal-cruelty_b_1692264.html|archive-date=June 24, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In May 2013, King introduced another amendment to the House Farm Bill, the Protect Interstate Commerce Act (PICA), saying, "PICA blocks states from requiring 'free range' eggs or 'free range' pork."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://steveking.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4440:two-king-amendments-included-in-farm-bill&catid=71:press-releases&Itemid=300164 |title=Congressman Steve King &#124; Representing the 4th District of Iowa |website=Steveking.house.gov |access-date=March 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624010457/https://steveking.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4440:two-king-amendments-included-in-farm-bill&catid=71:press-releases&Itemid=300164 |archive-date=June 24, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In 2014, the controversial provision was dropped.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mfablog.org/2014/01/king-amendment-officially-dead.html |title=King Amendment Officially Dead |website=mfablog.org |access-date=January 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131074035/http://www.mfablog.org/2014/01/king-amendment-officially-dead.html |archive-date=January 31, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all|last=Solomon|first=Ari}}</ref>

===Climate change===
King has dismissed concern over [[global warming]], calling it a "religion" and claiming efforts to [[climate change mitigation|address climate change]] are useless.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/569000/King--Global-warming--not-proven--not-science-.html?nav=5010 |title=King: Global warming 'not proven, not science' Congressman addresses FD crowd Tuesday |first=Joe|last=Sutter |work=[[Fort Dodge Messenger]] |publisher=[[Ogden Newspapers Inc.]]|location=Fort Dodge, Iowa|date=August 7, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817190931/http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/569000/King--Global-warming--not-proven--not-science-.html?nav=5010 |archive-date=August 17, 2013  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/08/07/steve_king_global_warming_more_of_a_religion_than_a_science/ |title=Steve King: Global warming "more of a religion than a science" |first=Jillian|last=Rayfield |website=[[Salon.com]] |location=San Francisco, California|date=August 7, 2013 |access-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814151721/http://www.salon.com/2013/08/07/steve_king_global_warming_more_of_a_religion_than_a_science/ |archive-date=August 14, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> A day after claiming that climate change was more "a religion than a science," he reasserted that many scientists overreact when discussing the consequences of global warming,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/quotes/rep-steve-king-r-ia-on-rejecting-the-religion-of-climate-change |title=Rep. Steve King (R-IA) on Rejecting the Religion of Climate Change |publisher=[[Georgetown University]] [[Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs]] |location=Washington, D.C.|date=August 6, 2013 |access-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812005952/http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/quotes/rep-steve-king-r-ia-on-rejecting-the-religion-of-climate-change |archive-date=August 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> saying, "Everything that might result from a warmer planet is always bad in [environmentalists'] analysis. There will be more [[photosynthesis]] going on if the Earth gets warmer ... And if sea levels go up 4 or 6 inches, I don't know if we'd know that. We don't know where sea level is even, let alone be able to say that it's going to come up an inch globally because some [[polar ice caps]] might melt because there's [[Carbon dioxide|{{CO2}}]] suspended in the atmosphere."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/158701-rep-king-global-warming-more-of-a-religion-than-a-science/ |title=Rep. King: Global warming 'more of a religion than a science' |first=Ben|last=Gemen |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|publisher=Capitol Hill Publishing Corp.|location=Washington, D.C.|date=August 7, 2013 |access-date=August 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811153212/http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/316047-rep-king-global-warming-more-of-a-religion-than-a-science |archive-date=August 11, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

===Elections===
[[File:Steve King & Ted Cruz (22941533840).jpg|thumb|right|King and [[Ted Cruz]] in 2015]]
King endorsed [[Ted Cruz]] in the [[2016 Republican Party presidential primaries|2016 Republican presidential primaries]], saying Cruz was the "answer to my prayers".<ref>{{cite news |last=Gabriel |first=Trip |url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/11/16/representative-steve-king-of-iowa-endorses-ted-cruz/ |title=Representative Steve King of Iowa Endorses Ted Cruz |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 16, 2015 |access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> He endorsed and strongly supported [[Donald Trump]] after Trump won the nomination.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/08/08/steve-king-endorses-trump-pence-sioux-city-rally/88419450/ |last=Pfannenstiel|first=Brianne|title=Steve King endorses Trump, Pence at Sioux City rally |website=Usatoday.com |date=August 8, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313215527/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/08/08/steve-king-endorses-trump-pence-sioux-city-rally/88419450/ |archive-date=March 13, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kludt |first=Tom |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/11/politics/iowa-rep-steve-king-donald-trump/ |title=Iowa Rep. Steve King on Trump: 'I'm sticking with him' - CNNPolitics.com |publisher=[[CNN]]|date=October 11, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313214900/http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/11/politics/iowa-rep-steve-king-donald-trump/ |archive-date=March 13, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In December 2020, King was one of 126 Republican members of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] who signed an [[amicus brief]] in support of ''[[Texas v. Pennsylvania]]'', a lawsuit filed at the [[Supreme Court of the United States|United States Supreme Court]] contesting the results of the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]], in which [[Joe Biden]] prevailed<ref>{{cite web|last1=Blood|first1=Michael R.|last2=Riccardi|first2=Nicholas|date=December 5, 2020|title=Biden officially secures enough electors to become president|url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa|url-status=live|access-date=December 12, 2020|website=[[Associated Press|AP News]]|archive-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208201209/https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-elections-electoral-college-3e0b852c3cfadf853b08aecbfc3569fa}}</ref> over incumbent [[Donald Trump]]. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked [[Standing (law)|standing]] under [[Article Three of the United States Constitution|Article III of the Constitution]] to challenge the results of the election held by another state.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Liptak|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Liptak|date=2020-12-11|title=Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|access-date=2020-12-12|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211234955/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/us/politics/supreme-court-election-texas.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Order in Pending Case|url=https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf|date=2020-12-11|publisher=[[Supreme Court of the United States]]|access-date=December 11, 2020|archive-date=December 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211234004/https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/121120zr_p860.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/read-house-republicans-texas-supreme-court/index.html|title=Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court|first=Daniella |last=Diaz|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=December 11, 2020|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212000435/https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/10/politics/read-house-republicans-texas-supreme-court/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." Additionally, Pelosi reprimanded King and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Smith|first1=David|date=2020-12-12|title=Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results|url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/11/supreme-court-rejects-trump-backed-texas-lawsuit-aiming-to-overturn-election-results|access-date=2020-12-13|work=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/121120-3 |title=Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit |publisher=Speaker Nancy Pelosi |date=December 11, 2020 |access-date=December 13, 2020 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814224010/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/121120-3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> New Jersey Representative [[Bill Pascrell]], citing section three of the [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|14th Amendment]], called for Pelosi to not seat the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit. Pascrell argued that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that."<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Jordan|date=2020-12-11|title=Democrat asks Pelosi to refuse to seat lawmakers supporting Trump's election challenges|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/529883-rep-pascrell-jr-asks-pelosi-to-refuse-to-seat-lawmakers-supporting-trumps/|access-date=2020-12-12|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|language=en|archive-date=December 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212055323/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/529883-rep-pascrell-jr-asks-pelosi-to-refuse-to-seat-lawmakers-supporting-trumps|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Fiscal policy ===
Objecting to "taxpayer-funded subsidies, pet projects and added bureaucracy", King voted against [[The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] in the U.S. House of Representatives, saying, "Our economy will not recover because government spends more. It will recover because people produce more."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=149103 |title=U.S. Rep. King: Opposes bill stimulating government |website=IowaPolitics.com |date=February 13, 2009 |access-date=August 23, 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713052354/http://iowapolitics.com/index.iml?Article=149103 |archive-date=July 13, 2011 }}</ref> King also stood out as one of only 11 members of Congress to vote against the $51.8 billion [[Hurricane Katrina]] relief package in 2005, claiming there was no comprehensive plan for spending the aid money.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/steve-king-hurricane-katrina-aid_n_2045172.html|title=Steve King: Opposing Aid For Hurricane Katrina 'A Good Vote'|last=Foley|first=Elise|date=October 30, 2012|work=[[Huffington Post]]|location=New York City|access-date=August 3, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902024021/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/steve-king-hurricane-katrina-aid_n_2045172.html|archive-date=September 2, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Gun rights===
King opposes stricter regulations on gun ownership.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Steve_King_Gun_Control.htm |title=Steve King on Gun Control |publisher=Ontheissues.org |access-date=August 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610222408/http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Steve_King_Gun_Control.htm |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2017, King said that a bill to close the so-called "gun show loophole" and add background checks for individuals who bought guns at gun shows would ruin "Christmas at the Kings'" if it passed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Collins|first=Gail|url=https://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/11/with_all_the_political_static.html |title=With political static in the air, congressional gun bill gets little attention (Commentary) |work=masslive.com |access-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803133737/https://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/11/with_all_the_political_static.html |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2018, King criticized 18-year-old [[Parkland high school shooting]] survivor [[X González]], attempting to tie González to Communist Cuba.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graves|first=Allison|url=https://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2018/mar/26/looking-facts-behind-rep-steve-king-facebook-post-/ |title=Rep. Steve King slams Emma Gonzalez in FB post |work=[[PolitiFact|PolitiFact Florida]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803193954/https://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2018/mar/26/looking-facts-behind-rep-steve-king-facebook-post-/ |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/steve-king-facebook-post-emma-gonzalez/ |title=Steve King's campaign criticizes Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez |first=Maegan |last=Vazquez |publisher=[[CNN]] |location=Atlanta, GA |date=March 26, 2018 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803134042/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/steve-king-facebook-post-emma-gonzalez/ |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2018, he said that easy access to guns should not be blamed for gun violence, but rather [[Video game controversies|video games]], cultural changes, lack of [[School prayer|prayer in schools]], gun-free zones, family break-ups, and the [[stimulant medication]] [[Methylphenidate|Ritalin]].<ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Noble |url=https://eu.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/30/steve-king-iowa-parkland-school-shooting-blame-guns-ritalin-video-games-family-break-up-policies/472740002/ |title=Steve King: Don't blame guns. Blame Ritalin, video games, family break-up and policies. |work=[[Des Moines Register]] |location=Des Moines, IA |date=March 30, 2018 |access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref>

===Healthcare===
King is a staunch opponent of the [[Affordable Care Act]] (Obamacare) and has led attempts to repeal it.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Steve|last=King|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/07/14/steve-king-my-bill-would-reduce-healthcare-costs-address-doctor-shortage/479239001/|title=Steve King: My bill would reduce healthcare costs, address doctor shortage|work=[[Des Moines Register]]|publisher=[[Gannett]]|location=Des Moines, Iowa|date=July 14, 2017|access-date=October 28, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref name="king-nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/us/politics/steve-king-babies-civilization.html|title=Steve King, Hurling Insults at Immigrants, Is Rebuked by His Own Party|last1=Steinhauer|first1=Jennifer|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|access-date=March 13, 2017|date=March 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314014113/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/us/politics/steve-king-babies-civilization.html|archive-date=March 14, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://dailyiowan.com/2018/10/24/can-j-d-scholten-dethrone-rep-steve-king-from-his-district-4-seat-u-s-house-of-representatives-election-day-vote-iowa/|title=Can J.D. Scholten dethrone Rep. Steve King from his District 4 seat?|work=[[The Daily Iowan]]|publisher=[[Iowa University]]|location=Iowa City, Iowa|date=October 24, 2018|access-date=October 28, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028225656/https://dailyiowan.com/2018/10/24/can-j-d-scholten-dethrone-rep-steve-king-from-his-district-4-seat-u-s-house-of-representatives-election-day-vote-iowa/|archive-date=October 28, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|first=William|last=Petroski|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/04/iowa-rep-steve-king-election-challenge-democrat-scholten-republican-donald-trump/1485296002/|title=Is Steve King in trouble? Democrat J.D. Scholten bets hustle and grit are keys to upset|work=[[Des Moines Register]]|publisher=[[Gannett]]|location=Des Moines, Iowa|date=October 4, 2018|access-date=October 28, 2018|language=en}}</ref> He fought against [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] and [[Medicaid]] covering a number of medications such as [[Viagra]], which he called "recreational drugs".<ref>{{cite news |first=Sheryl Gay|last=Stolberg|author-link=Sheryl Gay Stolberg|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/25/politics/25viagra.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York City|title=House Rejects Coverage of Impotence Pills |date=June 25, 2005 |access-date=May 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231022107/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/25/politics/25viagra.html |archive-date=December 31, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

In January 2017, King said that in the wake of the [[U.S. presidential election, 2016|2016 presidential election]], "it has become abundantly clear that the American people have overwhelmingly rejected Obamacare time and time again" and called for congressional Republicans to "take swift action to fulfill our promise to We the People and repeal this unconstitutional and egregious law passed by hook, crook and legislative shenanigan."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/story/2375303.html|title=King, Grassley celebrate efforts to kill Affordable Health Care Act |newspaper=[[Storm Lake Pilot Tribune]] |date=January 9, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812083307/https://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/story/2375303.html |archive-date=August 12, 2018 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In May 2017, King said he had moved from supporting the [[American Health Care Act]], the Republican replacement to the Affordable Care Act, to being unsure as a result of benefits such as emergency services, hospitalization and prescription drugs that were added following his backing of the measure: "Once they negotiated [essential health benefits] with the Freedom Caucus and Tuesday Group, it is hard for me to imagine they will bring that language in the Senate, or that it will be effective because they diluted this thing substantially." King added that he and Trump agreed on the need for the federal government to not have a role in health insurance and that Republicans would not have had difficulty repealing the Affordable Care Act had the party prioritized its replacement within the first week of the 115th Congress, in January 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/politics/steve-king-health-care-cnntv/index.html |title=Rep. King unsure if he will support 'diluted' GOP health care bill |first=Eugene |last=Scott |publisher=[[CNN]]|location=Atlanta, GA |date=May 3, 2017 |access-date=August 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812150403/https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/politics/steve-king-health-care-cnntv/index.html |archive-date=August 12, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===LGBT rights===
On April 3, 2009, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in ''[[Varnum v. Brien]]'' unanimously that a [[Same sex marriage in Iowa|state ban]] on same-sex marriage violated Iowa's constitution.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Eckhoff|first1=Jeff|last2=Schulte|first2=Grant|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090403/NEWS/90403010|title=Unanimous ruling: Iowa marriage no longer limited to one man, one woman|work=[[Des Moines Register]]|access-date=January 8, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629165642/http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090403/NEWS/90403010|archive-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref> King soon commented that the justices "should resign from their position" and the state legislature "must also enact marriage license residency requirements so that Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca."<ref>{{cite web |last=Hancock|first=Jason|url=http://iowaindependent.com/13513/king-fears-iowa-to-become-gay-marriage-mecca |title= King fears Iowa to become 'gay marriage Mecca'|website=iowaindependent.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409132954/http://iowaindependent.com/13513/king-fears-iowa-to-become-gay-marriage-mecca |archive-date=April 9, 2009}}</ref> King, along with others, mounted a campaign against the three Iowa Supreme Court justices who were up for retention and had ruled on the gay marriage case. King bought $80,000 of radio advertising across the state calling for Iowans to vote against their retention. None of the three was retained.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theiowarepublican.com/home/2010/11/04/the-winners-of-the-2010-election/ |last=Robinson|first=Craig|title=The Winners of the 2010 Election |publisher=The Iowa Republican |date=November 4, 2010 |access-date=August 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201085224/http://theiowarepublican.com/home/2010/11/04/the-winners-of-the-2010-election/ |archive-date=December 1, 2010 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

On October 7, 2014, King was one of 19 members of Congress inducted into the [[LGBT]] civil rights advocacy group [[Human Rights Campaign]]'s "Hall of Shame" for his opposition to LGBT equality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hall-of-shame |title=King: Global warming 'not proven, not science' Congressman addresses FD crowd Tuesday |first=Stephen |last=Peters |work=[[Human Rights Campaign]] |date=October 7, 2014 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715033801/http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hall-of-shame |archive-date=July 15, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Fischler|first1=Jacob|title=The 19 Most Anti-LGBT Members Of Congress, According To Pro-LGBT Group|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jacobfischler/the-19-most-anti-lgbt-members-of-congress-according-to-pro-l|access-date=July 14, 2015|work=[[BuzzFeed News]]|date=October 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924005931/http://www.buzzfeed.com/jacobfischler/the-19-most-anti-lgbt-members-of-congress-according-to-pro-l|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In response to the Supreme Court's 2015 decision ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'', in which the court ruled that same-sex marriage is a constitutionally protected right, King called for a [[non-binding resolution]] saying that states may refuse to recognize the decision.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Henderson |first1=O. Kay |title=King seeks House vote on same-sex marriage ruling |url=http://www.radioiowa.com/2015/07/11/king-seeks-house-vote-on-same-sex-marriage-ruling/ |access-date=July 14, 2015 |work=Radio Iowa |date=July 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715080755/http://www.radioiowa.com/2015/07/11/king-seeks-house-vote-on-same-sex-marriage-ruling/ |archive-date=July 15, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Keefe |first1=Ed |title=Steve King wants resolution denouncing Supreme Court same-sex marriage ruling |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/06/steve-king-wants-resolution-denouncing-supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-ruling/ |access-date=July 14, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=July 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710172748/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/06/steve-king-wants-resolution-denouncing-supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-ruling/ |archive-date=July 10, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He has also called for the abolition of [[civil marriage]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=FieldStadt |first1=Elisha |title=Supreme Court's Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage Met With Resistance in Some States |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/supreme-courts-ruling-same-sex-marriage-met-resistance-n382751 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=June 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715071919/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/supreme-courts-ruling-same-sex-marriage-met-resistance-n382751 |archive-date=July 15, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor|first=AJ|title=King Calls for End to Civil Marriage in Wake of Supreme Court Ruling |url=http://kiow.com/2015/06/30/king-calls-for-end-to-civil-marriage-in-wake-of-supreme-court-ruling/ |access-date=July 14, 2015 |work=KIOW.com |date=June 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715062902/http://kiow.com/2015/06/30/king-calls-for-end-to-civil-marriage-in-wake-of-supreme-court-ruling/ |archive-date=July 15, 2015}}</ref> On May 17, 2019, King was one of 173 representatives to vote against the [[Equality Act (United States)|Equality Act]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Israel |first1=Josh |title=These 25 Republicans should have known better about the Equality Act |url=https://thinkprogress.org/25-equality-act-opponents-from-states-with-lgbtq-non-discrimination-protections-8fba0c05e4f7/ |website=[[ThinkProgress]] |date=May 17, 2019}}</ref>

===Lobbying===
On February 26, 2010, King went to the House floor to protest Democrats' handling of health care reform and said, "Lobbyists do a very effective and useful job on this Hill ... There's a credibility there in that arena that I think somebody needs to stand up for the lobby, and it is a matter of providing a lot of valuable information."<ref>{{cite web| last=Vaida| first=Bara| title=Rep. King: "Lobbyists Are Useful"| work=[[National Journal]]| date=March 1, 2010|url=http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2010/03/lobbyists-are-useful-says-rep.php| access-date=July 12, 2010| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804195340/http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2010/03/lobbyists-are-useful-says-rep.php| archive-date=August 4, 2010}}</ref>

===Immigration===
King voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1865/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Further+Consolidated+Appropriations+Act%2C+2020%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=2 |title=Text - H.R.1865 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 &#124; Congress.gov &#124; Library of Congress |publisher=Congress.gov |date= December 20, 2019|accessdate=2022-07-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2019689|title = Roll Call 689 Roll Call 689, Bill Number: H. R. 1865, 116th Congress, 1st Session| work=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |date = December 17, 2019}}</ref>

King voted against Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1158) which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/116-2019/h690|title = H.R. 1158: DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams Act … -- House Vote #690 -- Dec 17, 2019}}</ref>

King is a proponent of the [[Great Replacement]] theory, the theory states that the white population is being replaced by mass non-white immigrants.<ref>{{cite web|last=Reints|first=Renae|title='I Am Simply a Nationalist.' Rep. Steve King Responds to Backlash Over 'White Supremacy' Remarks|date=January 10, 2019|url=https://fortune.com/2019/01/10/steve-king-white-supremacy/ |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=GabrielAgenda/>

== Controversial comments ==
{{csection|date=February 2025}}
''[[The Washington Post]]'' has described King as "the U.S. congressman most openly affiliated with [[white nationalism]]", while ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' has said his opinions in this direction are "barely veiled".<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Nguyen |first=Tina |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/10/steve-king-white-nationalism-iowa-midterm |title=Steve King's White Nationalism May Finally Cost Him |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |location=New York City |date=October 30, 2018 |access-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121162921/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/10/steve-king-white-nationalism-iowa-midterm |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[David Leonhardt]] in an opinion piece for ''[[The New York Times]]'' has explicitly identified King as being a "white nationalist".<ref>{{cite news |last=Leonhardt |first=David |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/opinion/steve-king-white-supremacist-iowa.html |title=The White-Supremacist Congressman |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York City |date=October 31, 2018 |access-date=November 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106193431/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/31/opinion/steve-king-white-supremacist-iowa.html |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> King has stirred controversy and come to prominence by making statements that have been described as racist<ref name=Mendelsohn>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/18/donald-trump-immigration-chain-migration-dan-scavino-tomi-lahren-216332/ |title=How Would Trump's Immigration Crackdown Have Affected His Own Team? |work=[[Politico]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa has become notorious for making thinly veiled racist pronouncements about the threats of immigration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119193929/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/18/donald-trump-immigration-chain-migration-dan-scavino-tomi-lahren-216332 |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=GabrielAgenda /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/steve-king-neonazi-tweet-republicans.html |title=Steve King's Inflammatory Behavior Is Met With Silence From G.O.P. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 15, 2018 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=In Mr. King's case, his eight-term incumbency and his own history of racist comments |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806152431/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/steve-king-neonazi-tweet-republicans.html |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all|last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl Gay }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/steve-king-nearer-the-throne/519336/|title=Steve King: 'We Can't Restore Our Civilization With Somebody Else's Babies' |last=Graham |first=David A. |date=March 13, 2017 |work=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=Steve King has always made a habit of speaking his mind, and quite frequently his mind has been controversial, blatantly false, or outright racist.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802235643/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/steve-king-nearer-the-throne/519336/|archive-date=August 2, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/lissandravilla/democrats-lost-their-top-challenger-to-rep-steve-king-but |last=Villa|first=Lissandra|title=Democrats Lost Their Top Challenger To Rep. Steve King, But They're Not Too Upset About It |work=[[BuzzFeed News]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=Rep. Steve King, the brash Republican whose penchant for shocking, racist comments has made him a staple of cable news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810151055/https://www.buzzfeed.com/lissandravilla/democrats-lost-their-top-challenger-to-rep-steve-king-but|archive-date=August 10, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=German/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.advocate.com/politicians/2017/3/17/steve-king-claims-wide-support-somebody-elses-babies-tweet |last=Ring|first=Trudy|title=Steve King Claims Wide Support for 'Somebody Else's Babies' Tweet |date=March 17, 2017 |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=King has a history of not-so-subtly racist comments. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803163700/https://www.advocate.com/politicians/2017/3/17/steve-king-claims-wide-support-somebody-elses-babies-tweet |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> or racially charged.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=Rosenberg /><ref name="NPR20180803">{{cite news |last=Naylor |first=Brian |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/03/13/519975423/rep-steve-king-stands-by-controversial-tweet-about-somebody-elses-babies |title=Rep. Steve King Stands By Controversial Tweet About 'Somebody Else's Babies' |work=[[NPR]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King, who has a history of controversial statements on immigration and race |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802235645/https://www.npr.org/2017/03/13/519975423/rep-steve-king-stands-by-controversial-tweet-about-somebody-elses-babies |archive-date=August 2, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/que-que-rep-steve-king-says-hes-latino-secy-julian-n394021 |last=Gamboa|first=Suzanne|title=Que, Que? Rep. Steve King Says He's as Latino as Julián Castro |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |quote=King is well known for his comments that many Latinos and immigrants have regarded as at least insulting and to some as racist or bigoted.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808011559/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/que-que-rep-steve-king-says-hes-latino-secy-julian-n394021 |archive-date=August 8, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/steve-kings-facebook-page-mocks-parkland-survivors |title=Steve King's Facebook Page Mocks Parkland Survivors |last1=Garcia |first1=Eric |date=March 26, 2018 |work=[[Roll Call]] |access-date=August 3, 2018 |last2=Garcia |first2=Eric |quote=King is known for making racially inflammatory remarks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194030/https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/steve-kings-facebook-page-mocks-parkland-survivors |archive-date=August 3, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He is a staunch opponent of immigration and multiculturalism, and has supported far-right European politicians. According to ''[[The Guardian]]'', King "has long been one of the most vociferously anti-immigration members of the House Republican caucus."<ref name=GuardianThreatened>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/12/steve-king-iowa-congressman-geert-wilders-immigration |title=Republican congressman: civilization threatened by 'somebody else's babies' |date=March 13, 2017 |website=[[The Guardian]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312230932/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/12/steve-king-iowa-congressman-geert-wilders-immigration |archive-date=March 12, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref> King has said that he is not a racist.<ref name=GabrielAgenda />

In October 2018, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, [[Steve Stivers]], condemned King as a racist, saying that King's actions and comments were "completely inappropriate" and constituted "[[white supremacy]] and hate."<ref name=":7">{{cite news |first=Todd J. |last=Gillman |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/10/31/ted-cruz-stops-short-condemning-steve-king-racist-retweeting-neo-nazi-endorsing-white-supremacist |title=Ted Cruz calls Steve King support of white supremacists 'divisive,' stops short of condemning him |date=October 31, 2018 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |location=Dallas, TX |access-date=October 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031212422/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/10/31/ted-cruz-stops-short-condemning-steve-king-racist-retweeting-neo-nazi-endorsing-white-supremacist |archive-date=October 31, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The NRCC said it would not help King in his 2018 re-election efforts.<ref name="Mangan" /> Representative [[Carlos Curbelo]] described King's comments and actions as "disgusting" and said that he would never vote for someone like King.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/414085-gop-lawmaker-i-would-never-vote-for-someone-like-steve-king/ |title=Rep. Curbelo: I would never vote for someone like Steve King |last=Keller |first=Megan |date=October 31, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |location=Washington, DC |access-date=October 31, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181031201340/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/414085-gop-lawmaker-i-would-never-vote-for-someone-like-steve-king |archive-date=October 31, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Senator [[Ted Cruz]] called King's rhetoric "divisive" but stopped short of condemning him.<ref name=":7" /> Other Republicans, such as House Agriculture Committee Chairman [[Mike Conaway]], dismissed the idea that King is racist.<ref name=":7" />

In a January 2019 interview with ''The New York Times'', King asked, "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization—how did that language become offensive?" He also said of the large increase in representation of minorities and women in the new Democrat-controlled House: "You could look over there and think the Democratic Party is no country for white men."<ref name=GabrielAgenda /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424688-steve-king-asks-how-terms-white-nationalist-and-white-supremacist-became/ |title=Steve King asks how terms 'white nationalist' and 'white supremacist' became offensive |last=Wise |first=Justin A. |date=January 10, 2019 |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |location=Washington, DC |access-date=January 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110161745/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424688-steve-king-asks-how-terms-white-nationalist-and-white-supremacist-became |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> He was subsequently condemned by numerous Republican members of Congress, including House Minority Leader [[Kevin McCarthy]] and other members of the House Republican leadership.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://politi.co/2Fn8COc |title=Steve King under fire after embrace of white supremacy |last1=Barrón-López |first1=Laura |last2=Bresnahan |first2=John |website=[[Politico]] |date=January 10, 2019 |location=Arlington, VA |access-date=January 11, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424747-gop-lawmaker-steve-kings-embrace-of-racism-has-no-place-in-congress/ |title=GOP lawmaker: Steve King's 'embrace of racism' has no place in Congress |last=Wise |first=Justin |date=January 10, 2019 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|access-date=January 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110214147/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424747-gop-lawmaker-steve-kings-embrace-of-racism-has-no-place-in-congress |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="WaPo20190110"/> [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Tim Scott]] criticized King harshly in a ''[[Washington Post]]'' op-ed, and Senate Majority Leader [[Mitch McConnell]] called King's remarks "unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position".<ref>{{cite web |last=Garcia|first=Catherine|title=McConnell calls GOP Rep. Steve King's racial remarks 'unwelcome and unworthy' of his position |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/817671/mcconnell-calls-gop-rep-steve-kings-racial-remarks-unwelcome-unworthy-position |website=The Week |date=January 14, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Choi |first1=Matthew |title=Tim Scott pens op-ed blasting Steve King for embrace of white supremacy |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/11/tim-scott-op-ed-steve-king-white-supremacy-1098375 |website=[[Politico]] |date=January 11, 2019}}</ref> Conservative commentator [[Ben Shapiro]] called for King to be [[censure in the United States|censured]] and for a primary challenge against King.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424731-ben-shapiro-urges-congress-censure-steve-king-after-he-questions-why-term/ |title=Ben Shapiro urges Congress to censure Steve King after he questions why term 'white supremacist' is offensive |last=Wise |first=Justin |date=January 10, 2019 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |access-date=January 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111012523/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424731-ben-shapiro-urges-congress-censure-steve-king-after-he-questions-why-term |archive-date=January 11, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> After the interview was published, and following backlash from across the political spectrum, King issued a statement via Twitter stating that he was "simply a Nationalist", that he did not advocate for "white nationalism and white supremacy", and that "I want to make one thing abundantly clear: I reject those labels and the evil ideology they define."<ref name=GabrielAgenda /><ref name="WaPo20190110">{{cite news |last1=Sonmez |first1=Felicia |title=House Republican leaders criticize Rep. Steve King for defending white nationalism |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-republican-leaders-criticize-rep-steve-king-for-defending-white-nationalism/2019/01/10/7d27bdfa-1534-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html |access-date=January 11, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111032040/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-republican-leaders-criticize-rep-steve-king-for-defending-white-nationalism/2019/01/10/7d27bdfa-1534-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html |archive-date=January 11, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Caroline |title=GOP lawmaker faces bipartisan condemnation after lamenting white nationalist language being deemed 'offensive' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/10/politics/steve-king-white-nationalism-nyt/index.html |access-date=January 11, 2019 |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=January 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110235416/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/10/politics/steve-king-white-nationalism-nyt/index.html |archive-date=January 10, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> King said ''The New York Times'' had misunderstood his comments, and that he did not question why "white nationalist" and "white supremacist" were offensive terms.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html |title=Steve King Removed From Committee Assignments Over White Supremacy Remark |last1=Gabriel |first1=Trip |date=January 14, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 17, 2019 |last2=Martin |first2=Jonathan |issn=0362-4331 |last3=Fandos |first3=Nicholas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116204829/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/us/politics/steve-king-white-supremacy.html |archive-date=January 16, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> On Twitter, he later stated: "As I told ''The New York Times'', 'it's not about race; It's never been about race'."<ref>{{cite news |last=Georgiou |first=Aristos |url=https://www.newsweek.com/steve-king-trevor-noah-daily-show-white-supremacist-white-nationalist-new-1287809 |title='What's Wrong With Racism Anyway?' Trevor Noah Hilariously Mocks Congressman Steve King's Lacklustre White Supremacist Denial |work=[[Newsweek]] |date=January 11, 2019 |access-date=March 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206163344/https://www.newsweek.com/steve-king-trevor-noah-daily-show-white-supremacist-white-nationalist-new-1287809 |archive-date=February 6, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The House voted 416–1 to rebuke King's comments; Illinois Representative [[Bobby Rush]] was the lone "nay" vote, but only because he believed a rebuke was too lenient and that King deserved to be censured.<ref>{{cite web |title=House votes 416-1 to rebuke Steve King's comments on white supremacy; Illinois' Bobby Rush lone no vote |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-steve-king-white-nationalism-resolution-20190115-story.html |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=January 15, 2019}}</ref>

=== Immigration and multiculturalism ===
King is a staunch opponent of [[Immigration to the United States|immigration]] and [[multiculturalism]].<ref name=GabrielAgenda /><ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/steve-king-neonazi-tweet-republicans.html |title=Steve King's Inflammatory Behavior Is Met With Silence From G.O.P. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 15, 2018 |access-date=June 16, 2018 |quote=In Mr. King's case, his eight-term incumbency and his own history of racist comments |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616015653/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/steve-king-neonazi-tweet-republicans.html |archive-date=June 16, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all|last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl Gay }}</ref><ref name=German>{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/3/13/14908184/steve-king-racist |title=Rep. Steve King's latest racist remarks are far from his first |last1=Lopez |first1=German |website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|access-date=June 17, 2018 |date=March 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617220029/https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/3/13/14908184/steve-king-racist |archive-date=June 17, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In April 2006, when asked if "the US economy simply couldn't function without" the presence of illegal immigrants, King said that he rejected that position "categorically". He said the 77.5 million people between the ages of 16 and 65 in the United States who are not part of the workforce "could be put to work and we could invent machines to replace the rest."<ref>[[Robin Lustig]], interviewing King on ''[[The World Tonight]]'' on [[BBC Radio 4]]</ref> In 2006, King called for an electrified fence on the US border, commenting that such fences were successful in containing livestock.<ref name="king-nyt" />

In July 2013, speaking about proposed immigration legislation, King said of illegal immigrants: "For every one who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds—and they've got calves the size of [[cantaloupe]]s because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert."<ref>{{cite web |title=H536 - Congressional Record - House |url=https://www.congress.gov/116/crec/2019/01/14/CREC-2019-01-14-pt1-PgH536.pdf |website=The United States Library of Congress |access-date=16 May 2022 |date=14 Jan 2019|quote=Whereas on July 24, 2014, in an interview with Newsmax discussing undocumented immigrants in the United  States, Representative KING stated,  ‘‘For everyone who’s a valedictorian,  there’s another 100 out there who weigh  130 pounds—and they‘ve got calves the  size of cantaloupes because they’re  hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across  the desert.’’;}}</ref> Despite strong rebukes from both Democrats and other Republicans, including [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]] [[John Boehner]], who called his statements "ignorant" and "hateful", and [[House Majority Leader]] [[Eric Cantor]], who called the comments "inexcusable", King defended his comments, saying he got the description from the [[United States Border Patrol|border patrol]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/24/19658030-king-slams-critics-stands-by-description-of-drug-mule-young-immigrants?lite |title=King slams critics, stands by description of 'drug mule' young immigrants |last=Dann |first=Carrie |date=July 24, 2013 |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date=July 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727060541/http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/24/19658030-king-slams-critics-stands-by-description-of-drug-mule-young-immigrants?lite |archive-date=July 27, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-boehner-denounces-steve-king-immigration-20130725-story.html |title=Boehner denounces Steve King's 'ignorant' comments on immigration |last=Memoli |first=Michael A. |date=July 25, 2013 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825122227/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/25/news/la-pn-boehner-denounces-steve-king-immigration-20130725 |archive-date=August 25, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="2015Jul17Politico">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/steve-king-julian-castro-immigration-twitter-hispanic-120299.html |title=Steve King: I'm as Hispanic as Julian Castro |last1=Collins |first1=Eliza |date=July 17, 2015 |work=[[Politico]]|access-date=July 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719213628/http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/steve-king-julian-castro-immigration-twitter-hispanic-120299.html|archive-date=July 19, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In July 2015, referencing HUD secretary [[Julian Castro|Julián Castro]]'s remarks on how poorly the Republican Party was doing with Hispanic voters, King responded, "What does Julian {{sic}} Castro know? Does he know that I'm as Hispanic and Latino as he?"<ref name="2015Jul17Politico" /><ref>{{cite tweet |number=622044761176719361 |user=SteveKingIA |title=What does Julian Castro know? Does he know that I'm as Hispanic and Latino as he? |date=July 17, 2015 |access-date=July 17, 2015}}</ref> King is neither Hispanic nor Latino by either family history or ethnic definition.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/07/steve-king-says-hes-just-as-hispanic-as-julian-castro |title=White, Anti-Immigrant Congressman Steve King Says He's Just as Latino as Julian Castro |last=Murphy |first=Tim |date=July 17, 2015 |work=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |access-date=July 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150719184201/http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2015/07/steve-king-says-hes-just-as-hispanic-as-julian-castro |archive-date=July 19, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2016, a journalist for the ''Iowa Starting Line'' reported that King displayed the [[Confederate flag]] on his office desk, although Iowa was part of [[Union (American Civil War)|the Union]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name="bfrf">{{cite news |last1=Pfannenstiel |first1=Brianne |title=King's desk display of Confederate banner raises concerns, red flags |publisher=[[Des Moines Register]] |date=12 July 2016}}</ref> He removed it after a Confederate flag-waver later [[2016 shootings of Des Moines police officers|fatally shot two Iowa police officers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/king-removed-confederate-flag-from-desk-after-iowa-police-slayings/article_fe58eaad-142f-555f-8ab5-1519a16c1dc2.html |title=King removed Confederate flag from desk after Iowa police slayings |first=Bret |last=Hayworth |newspaper=Sioux City Journal |date=March 8, 2017 |access-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112132918/https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/king-removed-confederate-flag-from-desk-after-iowa-police-slayings/article_fe58eaad-142f-555f-8ab5-1519a16c1dc2.html|archive-date=November 12, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> King attempted to block a bill that would remove [[Andrew Jackson]] and replace him with [[Harriet Tubman]] on the [[United States twenty-dollar bill|twenty-dollar bill]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Graham |first1=David |title=What Steve King Doesn't Understand About Harriet Tubman |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/steve-king-harriet-tubman/488219/ |website=[[The Atlantic]] |date=June 22, 2016}}</ref> King praised [[Bernie Sanders]] numerous times for his view on immigration, saying they were "closer to mine than it is some of the presidential candidates on the Republican side."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Debenedetti |first1=Gabriel |last2=Collins |first2=Eliza |title=Town hall tests Sanders' message |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-las-vegas-town-hall-219465|quote=Steve King: "I admire Bernie’s passion and I notice that his immigration position is closer to mine than it is some of the presidential candidates on the Republican side. He’s said ‘Let’s take care of American workers.’ I’m all for that." |work=[[Politico]]|date=February 18, 2016}}</ref>

In March 2017, King wrote "culture and demographics are our destiny. We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies." When asked about his comments, King stood by them, saying: "you need to teach your children your values" and "with the inter-marriage, I'd like to see an America that is just so homogenous that we look a lot the same".<ref name="king-nyt" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/steve-king-republican-geert-wilders-tweet-wants-everyone-to-look-the-same-a7627216.html|title=Steve King: Republican congressman under fire for anti-Islam endorsement says he wants 'an America so homogeneous that we look the same'|last=Buncombe|first=Andrew|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=August 3, 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803172221/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/steve-king-republican-geert-wilders-tweet-wants-everyone-to-look-the-same-a7627216.html|archive-date=August 3, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> King was rebuked by members of his own party, including Speaker Paul D. Ryan, but praised by white supremacist [[David Duke]] and ''[[The Daily Stormer]]'', a [[neo-Nazi]] website.<ref name="king-nyt" /><ref name="NPR20180803" />

In July 2017, the [[House Appropriations Committee]] voted to fund the [[Mexico–United States barrier|US-Mexico border wall]], allocating $1.6 billion for it. King called for an additional $5 billion for the wall, to be paid for with federal dollars coming from [[Planned Parenthood]], [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program|food stamps]], and other federal welfare programs,<ref name="Eberhardt">{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/finance/341626-rep-steve-king-build-mexico-border-wall-with-funds-from-planned-parenthood/|title=Steve King: Build border wall with funds from Planned Parenthood, food stamps|last1=Eberhardt|first1=Robin|date=July 12, 2017|access-date=July 12, 2017|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713052915/http://thehill.com/policy/finance/341626-rep-steve-king-build-mexico-border-wall-with-funds-from-planned-parenthood|archive-date=July 13, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> saying, "I would find half of a billion of dollars of that right out of Planned Parenthood's budget, and the rest of it could come out of food stamps and the entitlements that are being spread out for people who have not worked in three generations."<ref name="Glassman">{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2017/07/12/steve-king-says-donald-trumps-border-wall-could-be-funded-if-we-cut-food-stamps-to-pay-for-it/|title=Steve King says Donald Trump's border wall could be funded if we cut food stamps to pay for it|last1=Glassman|first1=Michael|date=July 12, 2017|access-date=July 12, 2017|work=[[Salon.com|Salon]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712192605/http://www.salon.com/2017/07/12/steve-king-says-donald-trumps-border-wall-could-be-funded-if-we-cut-food-stamps-to-pay-for-it/|archive-date=July 12, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On November 5, 2018, King referred to Mexican immigrants as "dirt" while at a campaign stop. ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' reported the comment;<ref name=NPR>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/13/667269088/rep-steve-king-denied-comparing-immigrants-to-dirt-audio-says-otherwise|last=Sullivan|first=Emily|title=Rep. Steve King Denied Comparing Immigrants To 'Dirt' — Audio Says Otherwise|work=[[NPR]]|access-date=November 14, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114003024/https://www.npr.org/2018/11/13/667269088/rep-steve-king-denied-comparing-immigrants-to-dirt-audio-says-otherwise|archive-date=November 14, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> King denied saying it and called on ''The Weekly Standard'' to release audio of the remarks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-faces-call-for-congressional-censure-after-latest-racist-remark-38958d33f91a/|last=Barnes|first=Luke|title=Steve King faces call for congressional censure after latest racist remark|work=ThinkProgress|access-date=January 11, 2019|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111121618/https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-faces-call-for-congressional-censure-after-latest-racist-remark-38958d33f91a/|archive-date=January 11, 2019|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''The Weekly Standard'' then released a recording of the exchange, confirming that King had made the remarks.<ref name=NPR /> In May 2019, King warned against "presuming that every culture is equal".<ref>{{cite news|last=Watkins|first=Eli|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/29/politics/steve-king-culture-founding-fathers-iowa/index.html|title = Steve King warns against presuming 'every culture is equal'|website = [[CNN]]|date = May 30, 2019}}</ref> On September 4, 2019, King posted a video of himself drinking water from water fountains over toilets at migrant facilities.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Opsahl|first1=Robin|title=U.S. Rep. Steve King shares video of himself drinking from water fountain over toilet at immigrant detention facility|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/04/steve-king-migrant-facility-water-toilet-twitter-us-mexico-border-latino-immigration-representative/2213854001/|website=[[Des Moines Register]]|date=September 4, 2019}}</ref> Congresswoman [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] criticized the GOP as "anti-immigrant" following the video.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/460030-ocasio-cortez-rips-steve-king-after-he-shares-video-drinking-from-toilet/|title=Ocasio-Cortez rips Steve King after he shares video drinking from toilet-fountain hybrid at border|newspaper=The Hill |date=September 5, 2019 |last1=Wise |first1=Justin }}</ref>

=== President Barack Obama ===<!-- Everything in this section is sourced. The location of the ref=s should not indicate to the editor that anything requires further citation.  -->
On March 7, 2008, during his press engagements to announce his reelection campaign, King made remarks about then U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate [[Barack Obama]] and his middle name "Hussein", saying:

<blockquote>I don't want to disparage anyone because of their race, their ethnicity, their name—whatever their religion their father might have been, I'll just say this: When you think about the optics of a Barack Obama potentially getting elected President of the United States—I mean, what does this look like to the rest of the world? What does it look like to the world of Islam? I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the [[al-Qaida]], the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on [[September 11 attacks|September 11]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1316727.html |last=Mitchell|first=Russ |title=King announced bid for fourth term |work=Spencer Daily Reporter |date=2008-03-08 |access-date=2010-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718233233/http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/1316727.html |archive-date=July 18, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref></blockquote>

On March 10, King defended his comments to the [[Associated Press]], saying "[Obama will] certainly be viewed as a savior for them... That's why you will see them supporting him, encouraging him."<ref name="Obama">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-10-king-obama_N.htm|title=Rep. King defends comments on Obama|date=March 11, 2008|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=May 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210093610/http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-03-10-king-obama_N.htm|archive-date=February 10, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Obama said he did not take the comments too seriously, describing King as a person who thrives on making controversial statements to get media coverage. He said, "I would hope [Obama's opponent] Senator [[John McCain|[John] McCain]] would want to distance himself from that kind of inflammatory and offensive remarks." The McCain campaign disavowed King's comments, saying "John McCain rejects the type of politics that degrades our civics... and obviously that extends to Congressman King's statement."<ref name="Obama" />

In mid-January 2009, King acknowledged that terrorists were not dancing in the streets, and had made statements opposing Obama. He said he found Obama's decision to use his middle name "Hussein" when sworn in as the [[List of Presidents of the United States|44th President of the United States]] to be "bizarre" and "a double standard".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/01/king-obama-bizarre-to-use-hussein-017506|title=King: Obama 'bizarre' to use 'Hussein'|first=Daniel|last=Libit|date=January 15, 2009|work=[[Politico]]|publisher=[[Capitol News Company]]|location=Arlington, Virginia|access-date=January 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116004042/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17506.html|archive-date=January 16, 2009|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2010, King speculated that Obama's immigration policies were influenced by racial favoritism toward black people.<ref name="king-nyt" />

In February 2020 on Twitter, King insinuated former [[United States Department of Homeland Security|DHS]] official [[Philip Haney]] had been murdered as a reprisal for "archiving data that incriminated the highest levels of the Obama administration".<ref name="Haney">{{cite web|first=Kyle|last=Mantyla|url=https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/right-wing-conspiracy-theorists-self-inflicted-death-generates-right-wing-conspiracy-theories-of-murder/|title= Right-Wing Conspiracy Theorist's Self-Inflicted Death Generates Right-Wing Conspiracy Theories of Murder|website=Right Wing Watch|date=February 24, 2020}}</ref>

===Racial profiling===
On June 14, 2010, King said on the House floor that racial profiling is an important component of law enforcement: "Some claim that the Arizona law will bring about racial discrimination profiling. First let me say, Mr. Speaker, that profiling has always been an important component of legitimate law enforcement. If you can't profile someone, you can't use those common sense indicators that are before your very eyes. Now, I think it's wrong to use racial profiling for the reasons of discriminating against people, but it's not wrong to use race or other indicators for the sake of identifying people that are violating the law."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/06/15/king-racial-profiling-is-important-for-law-enforcement/|last=Clayworth|first=Jason|title=King: Racial profiling is important for law enforcement|work=[[Des Moines Register]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711122529/http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/06/15/king-racial-profiling-is-important-for-law-enforcement/|archive-date=July 11, 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=January 8, 2015}}</ref> As an example of profiling, King described an instance when a taxi driver would stop for him before he had to hail a cab, just because he was in a business suit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/rep-steve-king-tells-congress-he-is-a-victim-of-profiling-as-a-white-man-in-a-suit/|last=Martel|first=Frances|title=Rep. Steve King Tells Congress He Is A Victim Of Profiling As A White Man In A Suit|date=June 15, 2010|publisher=Mediaite.com|access-date=January 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610231730/http://www.mediaite.com/online/rep-steve-king-tells-congress-he-is-a-victim-of-profiling-as-a-white-man-in-a-suit/|archive-date=June 10, 2015|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The same day, on [[G. Gordon Liddy]]'s radio program, King said that Obama's policies favored black people: "The president has demonstrated that he has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race—on the side that favors the black person in the case of [[Henry Louis Gates arrest controversy|Professor Gates and Officer Crowley]]."<ref name=CbsJan8>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-king-says-obama-favors-the-black-person/|last=Condon|first=Stephanie|title=Steve King Says Obama 'Favors the Black Person'|date=June 15, 2010|publisher=[[CBS News]]|access-date=January 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127092439/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20007729-503544.html|archive-date=November 27, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On January 13, 2018, King tweeted that racial oppression was a "thing of the past".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Aronsen|first1=Gavin|title=Steve King Declares Racial Oppression a Thing of the Past|url=http://iowainformer.com/politics/2018/01/steve-king-racial-oppression-steele-sowell/|quote=Steve King: The oppression of black people is over with… blacks are, today, a free people|website=Iowa Informer|date=January 15, 2018|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905013627/http://iowainformer.com/politics/2018/01/steve-king-racial-oppression-steele-sowell/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Comments on Western civilization ===
On July 18, 2016, King participated in a panel discussion on [[MSNBC]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/18/rep-steve-king-wonders-what-sub-groups-besides-whites-made-contributions-to-civilization/ |title=Rep. Steve King wonders what 'sub-groups' besides whites made contributions to civilization |last=Bump |first=Philip |date=July 18, 2016 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=July 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719150304/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/07/18/rep-steve-king-wonders-what-sub-groups-besides-whites-made-contributions-to-civilization/ |archive-date=July 19, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> during which a panelist from ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine suggested that the 2016 convention could be the last in which "old white people would command the Republican Party's attention". King responded, "This whole 'old white people' business does get a little tired, Charlie. I'd ask you to go back through history and figure out where are these contributions that have been made by these other categories of people that you are talking about? Where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization?"<ref name="danielvictor">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/us/politics/steve-king-nonwhite-subgroups.html |title=What, Congressman Steve King Asks, Have Nonwhites Done for Civilization? |last=Victor |first=Daniel |date=July 18, 2016 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=July 19, 2016 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721000707/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/us/politics/steve-king-nonwhite-subgroups.html |archive-date=July 21, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Panel moderator [[Chris Hayes (journalist)|Chris Hayes]] later described King's comments as odious and preposterous.<ref name="danielvictor" /> Panel member [[April Ryan]] described them as "in-my-face racism".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/18/steve-king-white-people-republican-convention |title=Congressman Steve King: whites aided civilization more than any 'sub-groups' |last=Bixby |first=Scott |date=July 19, 2016 |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=July 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720185750/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/18/steve-king-white-people-republican-convention |archive-date=July 20, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> That evening, King was asked about his comments during an interview with [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]. King said he had meant to say that "Western civilization", rather than "white people", is the "superior culture": "when you describe Western civilization, that can mean much of Western civilization happens to be Caucasians. But we should not apologize for our culture or our civilization. The contributions that were made by Western civilization itself, and by Americans, by Americans of all races, stand far above the rest of the world. The Western civilization and the American civilization are a superior culture."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-steve-king-clarifies-remarks-white-people-civilization/story?id=40687050|title=Rep. Steve King Clarifies Remarks About 'White People' Doing More for Civilization|last1=Faulders|first1=Katherine|last2=Parkinson|first2=John|date=July 20, 2016|website=ABC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720180058/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-steve-king-clarifies-remarks-white-people-civilization/story?id=40687050|archive-date=July 20, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://people.com/politics/congressman-steve-king-xenophobic-tweet/|title=Rep. Steve King Tweets Support for Far-Right|first=Mahita|last=Gajanan|date=January 3, 2017|website=People.com|access-date=March 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314224009/http://people.com/politics/congressman-steve-king-xenophobic-tweet/|archive-date=March 14, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=GuardianThreatened/>

===Attitudes towards Muslims===
In September 2014, King called for the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] to begin surveilling mosques to monitor recruitment to ISIS. Although ''[[BuzzFeed News]]'' said there was no evidence of such recruitment, King claimed it was occurring in parts of the United States.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kaczynski|first=Andrew|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/andrewkaczynski/gop-congressman-spy-on-us-mosques-to-stop-isis-recruitment#1rotr9l|title=GOP Congressman: Spy On U.S. Mosques To Stop ISIS Recruitment|work=[[BuzzFeed News]]|date=September 12, 2014|access-date=July 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/research/islamophobia-hub/profiles/wider-scene/north-america-people|title=United States:People|work=Hope Not Hate|location=United Kingdom|access-date=July 4, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704141114/https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/research/islamophobia-hub/profiles/wider-scene/north-america-people/|url-status=dead}}</ref> On December 9, 2015, he told [[MSNBC]] that he agreed with his party that Islam is "incompatible" with American life.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rep. Steve King on Islamophobia|url=https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rep.-steve-king-on-islamophobia-583276099760|website=[[MSNBC]]|date=December 9, 2015}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[Breitbart News]]'', King said he did not want Muslims working in meat-packing plants, because "I don't want people doing my pork that won't eat it, let alone hope I go to hell for eating pork chops."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/22/steve-king-muslims-pork-664949|title=Steve King singles out Somali Muslims over pork|last=Cheney|first=Kyle|date=June 22, 2018|work=[[Politico]]|quote=Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said Friday that he doesn't want Somali Muslims working at meat-packing plants in his district because they want consumers of pork to be sent to hell.|access-date=June 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623165839/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/22/steve-king-muslims-pork-664949|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://soundcloud.com/breitbart/breitbart-news-daily-rep-steve-king-june-22-2018|title=Breitbart News Daily - Rep. Steve King - June 22, 2018|work=[[Breitbart News]]|date=June 23, 2018|access-date=June 24, 2018|via=[[SoundCloud]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914151456/https://soundcloud.com/breitbart/breitbart-news-daily-rep-steve-king-june-22-2018|archive-date=September 14, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On March 7, 2019, he voted "present" on a resolution the US House passed condemning anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim discrimination.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hannon|first1=Elliott|title=Rep. Steve King Voted "Present" on the Hate Sux Resolution|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/03/iowa-steve-king-voted-present-congress-anti-semitism-muslim-resolution.html|website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate.com]]|date=March 7, 2019}}</ref> On August 27, 2019, King joked about [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]] Muslims detained in China's [[Xinjiang internment camps]] being forced to eat pork.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stracqualursi|first1=Veronica|title=Steve King jokes about Uyghur Muslims detained in China being force-fed pork|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/28/politics/steve-king-china-uyghur-muslims/index.html|website=[[CNN]]|date=August 27, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Edmondson|first=Catie|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/27/us/politics/steve-king-china-uighurs.html?login=smartlock&auth=login-smartlock|title=Steve King Back in Spotlight After Comments on Uighurs|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 27, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020}}</ref>

=== Abuse at Abu Ghraib prison ===
In May 2004, King compared the [[Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse|torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison]] to "[[hazing]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/steve-king-nearer-the-throne/519336/|title=Steve King: 'We Can't Restore Our Civilization With Somebody Else's Babies'|first=David A.|last=Graham|website=[[The Atlantic]]|date=March 13, 2017|access-date=June 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617215759/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/steve-king-nearer-the-throne/519336/|archive-date=June 17, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://desmoinesregister.newspapers.com/image/131977206/?terms=king:+hazing|title=14 May 2004, Page 1 - The Des Moines Register at Newspapers.com|work=[[Des Moines Register]]|access-date=June 23, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623141211/https://desmoinesregister.newspapers.com/image/131977206/?terms=king:+hazing|archive-date=June 23, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> He argued that violence against American soldiers in Iraq was more extreme than the prisoner 
abuse, saying that comparing the two was like comparing the crimes "committed by [[Jeffrey Dahmer]] compared to those of [[Heidi Fleiss]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=King: Abu Gharaib, Heidi Fleiss, and Political Cannibals: Statement by Iowa Congressman on Prisoner Abuse|url=https://steveking.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/king-abu-gharaib-heidi-fleiss-and-political-cannibals-statement-by-iowa|quote=Steve King: The dismembered and charred corpses of American contractors dangling over the Euphrates River in comparison to the abuse committed by a few soldiers at Abu Ghraib are like the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer compared to those of Heidi Fleiss.|website=steveking.house.gov|date=May 13, 2004|access-date=August 26, 2019|archive-date=July 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718170132/https://steveking.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/king-abu-gharaib-heidi-fleiss-and-political-cannibals-statement-by-iowa|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Affirmative action ===
King opposes [[affirmative action]]. He has said: "There's been legislation that's been brought through this House that sets aside benefits for women and minorities. The only people that it excludes are white men... Pretty soon, white men are going to notice they are the ones being excluded."<ref name="politico">{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25745_Page2.html|title=Why is the GOP slighting Hispanics? (p. 2)|author=Martinez, Gebe|date=August 4, 2009|website=[[Politico]]|access-date=August 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807085040/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25745_Page2.html|archive-date=August 7, 2009|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2015, King introduced a bill that would require colleges to report affirmative action.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Marcos|first1=Cristina|title=Bill would require colleges to report use of affirmative action|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/245020-bill-would-require-colleges-to-report-use-of-affirmative-action/|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|date=June 15, 2015}}</ref>

=== Support for far-right politics ===
On March 12, 2017, King expressed his support for [[Geert Wilders]], a [[far-right]] [[Netherlands|Dutch]] politician known for his [[criticism of Islam|anti-Islam]] views, leading up to the election in the Netherlands, stating, "Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny"<ref name="wilders-bbc" /><ref name="king-nyt" /> and "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies," referring to his views on ending [[Birthright citizenship in the United States|birthright citizenship]] and promoting "an America that's just so homogenous that we look a lot [sic] the same."<ref name="wilders-bbc" /> His statements received criticism from other politicians, including several Republicans, with [[Jeb Bush]] responding that "America is a nation of immigrants"; despite the backlash, King defended his statements.<ref name="wilders-bbc" /><ref name="king-nyt" /> Others reported that King's statements were well received among [[white nationalists]], garnering support from prominent members of that community.<ref name="wilders-bbc" /><ref name="king-nyt" /> The next day on [[CNN]], King said he was referring to culture, not ethnicity, saying: "It's the culture, not the blood. If you can go anywhere in the world and adopt these babies and put them into households that were already assimilated in America, those babies will grow up as American as any other baby with as much patriotism and love of country as any other baby."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1703/13/nday.05.html|title=Transcripts|date=March 13, 2017|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=March 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313163915/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1703/13/nday.05.html|archive-date=March 13, 2017|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Former [[Ku Klux Klan]] leader [[David Duke]] praised King's statement.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Price|first1=Dave|title=Former KKK Leader Praises Iowa Congressman, Chelsea Clinton Condemns Him|url=https://whotv.com/2017/03/12/former-kkk-leader-praises-iowa-congressman-chelsea-clinton-condemns-him/|website=[[WHO-DT]]|date=March 12, 2017}}</ref>

King supported [[Prime Minister of Hungary|Hungarian Prime Minister]] [[Viktor Orbán]], a right-wing populist and strong opponent of admitting migrants during the [[European migrant crisis]]. On December 8, 2017, King tweeted Orbán's quote that "Diversity is not our strength. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban {{sic}}, 'Mixing cultures will not lead to a higher quality of life but a lower one'."<ref>{{cite tweet |number=939117527375990790 |user=SteveKingIA|last=King|first=Steve |title=Diversity is not our strength |date=December 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423190217/https://twitter.com/SteveKingIA/status/939117527375990790|archive-date=April 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> "Assimilation has become a dirty word to the multiculturalist Left. Assimilation, not diversity, is our American strength," he tweeted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/363973-steve-king-diversity-isnt-americas-strength/|title=Rep. Steve King: 'Diversity is not our strength'|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|date=December 8, 2017|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref>

In June 2018, he retweeted a comment by [[Mark Collett]], a British [[neo-Nazi]] and self-described admirer of [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]], about Europe "waking up" to mass immigration.<ref name=Rosenberg/>

On August 24, 2018, King was interviewed by the Austrian website ''[[w:de:Unzensuriert.at|Unzensuriert]]'' (''Uncensored''), which is connected to the country's [[Freedom Party of Austria|Freedom Party]], part of the [[First Kurz government]]. He agreed with the interviewer that American financier [[George Soros]] is involved with the "[[The Great Replacement conspiracy theory|Great Replacement]]", a far-right conspiracy theory that claims to have identified a plot to replace white Europeans with minorities and immigrants.<ref name="McCarthy">{{cite news|last1=McCarthy|first1=Tom|last2=Jacobs|first2=Ben|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/31/steve-king-antisemitism-paul-ryan-anti-defamation-league|title=Paul Ryan urged to censure Iowa's Steve King over alleged antisemitism|agency=[[The Guardian]]|date=October 31, 2018|access-date=November 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105091105/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/31/steve-king-antisemitism-paul-ryan-anti-defamation-league|archive-date=November 5, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=DeBonis|first=Mike|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/holocaust-memorial-group-unwittingly-funded-rep-kings-meeting-with-far-right-austrians/2018/10/25/a18f4f6a-d875-11e8-83a2-d1c3da28d6b6_story.html|title=Rep. King met with far-right Austrians on trip funded by Holocaust memorial group|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=October 25, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026130953/https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/holocaust-memorial-group-unwittingly-funded-rep-kings-meeting-with-far-right-austrians/2018/10/25/a18f4f6a-d875-11e8-83a2-d1c3da28d6b6_story.html|archive-date=October 26, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

King also endorsed right-wing Canadian political commentator [[Faith Goldy]] in the [[2018 Toronto mayoral election]]. Goldy participated in a neo-Nazi podcast and has been described as far-right or alt-right.<ref name="Mangan" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=McCullough |first1=J. J. |title=Opinion: To Toronto's embarrassment, a new alt-right challenger rises in Canada |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/08/01/to-torontos-embarrassment-a-new-alt-right-challenger-rises-in-canada/ |access-date=September 12, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 1, 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913040251/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/08/01/to-torontos-embarrassment-a-new-alt-right-challenger-rises-in-canada/ |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Beattie |first1=Samantha |title=Toronto police had 'no idea' they were posing with far-right candidate Faith Goldy, spokesman says |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/08/28/toronto-police-had-no-idea-they-were-posing-with-far-right-candidate-faith-goldy-spokesman-says.html |access-date=September 12, 2018 |work=Toronto Star |date=August 28, 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913040258/https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/08/28/toronto-police-had-no-idea-they-were-posing-with-far-right-candidate-faith-goldy-spokesman-says.html |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In response to the Goldy endorsement, and King's other racially contentious remarks, Minnesota-based [[agricultural cooperative]] [[Land O'Lakes]] ended its support for his reelection.<ref name="goldy">{{cite news|last1=Shanker|first1=Deena|last2=Mulvany|first2=Lydia|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-30/land-o-lakes-pulls-financial-support-for-iowa-congressman-steve-king|title=Land O'Lakes, Purina Pull Support for Iowa Congressman Steve King Over Racial Remarks|work=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|date=October 30, 2018|access-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref>

In February 2021, after he left office, it was announced that he would be a speaker at [[Nick Fuentes]]' [[America First Political Action Conference]].<ref>{{cite tweet|last=Fuentes|first=Nick|title=AFPAC Speaker: @SteveKingIA|user=NickJFuentes|number=1362899774886805507|access-date=February 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219230009/https://twitter.com/NickJFuentes/status/1362899774886805507|archive-date=February 19, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|last=King|first=Steve|title=Time to cancel 'cancel culture' and refurbish the Pillars of American Exceptionalism! See you there!|user=SteveKingIA|number=1362951919157735425|access-date=February 21, 2021|website=[[Twitter]]}}</ref>

=== White genocide ===
King subscribes to the [[white genocide conspiracy theory]], and has stated this view while in Congress.<ref>
{{cite news
 |url          = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/12/steve-king-dared-conservative-outlet-release-audio-him-calling-immigrants-dirt-it-did/
 |title        = Steve King dared a conservative magazine to release audio of him calling immigrants 'dirt.' It did.
 |newspaper         = [[The Washington Post]]
 |last1        = Phillips
 |first1       = Kristine
 |date         = January 12, 2019
 |access-date   = January 13, 2019
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20190114153221/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/12/steve-king-dared-conservative-outlet-release-audio-him-calling-immigrants-dirt-it-did/
 |archive-date = January 14, 2019
 |url-status     = live
 |df           = mdy-all
}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/2018/1/18/16897358/racism-donald-trump-immigration|last=Coaston|first=Jane|title=The scary ideology behind Trump's immigration instincts|date=June 18, 2018|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|access-date=August 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231163459/https://www.vox.com/2018/1/18/16897358/racism-donald-trump-immigration|archive-date=December 31, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-defends-racist-tweet-urges-white-people-to-have-more-babies-7f9a319acbef/|last=Raymond|first=Laurel|title=Steve King went on Breitbart radio to clarify his racist tweet. His actual views are even worse.|date=March 14, 2017|website=[[ThinkProgress]]|access-date=August 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811163133/https://thinkprogress.org/steve-king-defends-racist-tweet-urges-white-people-to-have-more-babies-7f9a319acbef/|archive-date=August 11, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'' and other media have reported more generally on his belief in and promotion of the conspiracy theory.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/minutes/141310/steve-king-says-racist-things-knows-gop-wont-call-it |last=Jones|first=Sarah|title=Steve King says racist things because he knows the GOP won't call him out on it. |date=March 14, 2017 |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |access-date=August 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811163221/https://newrepublic.com/minutes/141310/steve-king-says-racist-things-knows-gop-wont-call-it |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/steve-kings-iowa-immigrants/ |last=Murphy|first=Tim|title=Steve King's District Was Built by 'Somebody Else's Babies' |date=March 14, 2017 |magazine=[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] |access-date=August 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811164758/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/steve-kings-iowa-immigrants/ |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/03/steve-kings-white-nationalism-is-echoed-in-the-whi.html |last=Kotch|first=Alex|title=Steve King's White Nationalism is Echoed in the White House |date=March 20, 2017 |magazine=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |access-date=August 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811163548/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/03/steve-kings-white-nationalism-is-echoed-in-the-whi.html |archive-date=August 11, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2018, King spoke to an Austrian far-right publication about "the great replacement", which ''The New York Times'' described as "a conspiracy theory on the far right that claims shadowy elites are working behind the scenes to reduce white populations to minorities in their own countries."<ref name=GabrielAgenda /> The theory gained notoriety after the alleged perpetrator of the 2019 [[Christchurch mosque shootings]] titled his manifesto after it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/new-zealand-suspect-inspired-by-far-right-french-intellectual-who-feared-nonwhite-immigration/2019/03/15/8c39fba4-6201-4a8d-99c6-aa42db53d6d3_story.html |title=Renaud Camus's ideas may have inspired the Christchurch mosque slayings in New Zealand |last=McAuley |first=James |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=March 15, 2019 |date=March 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316021111/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/new-zealand-suspect-inspired-by-far-right-french-intellectual-who-feared-nonwhite-immigration/2019/03/15/8c39fba4-6201-4a8d-99c6-aa42db53d6d3_story.html |archive-date=March 16, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

=== Antisemitism controversy in 2018 ===
In late October 2018, after the [[Pittsburgh synagogue shooting]], the [[Anti-Defamation League]] (ADL) sent the House speaker, [[Paul Ryan]], an open letter calling on him to censure King,<ref>{{cite news |last=Wise |first=Justin |title=Anti-Defamation League calls on Paul Ryan to take action against Steve King |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/414073-anti-defamation-league-calls-on-paul-ryan-to-take-action-against-steve-king/ |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=October 31, 2018 |access-date=February 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122013103/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/414073-anti-defamation-league-calls-on-paul-ryan-to-take-action-against-steve-king |archive-date=November 22, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> citing King's relationship with far-right [[Freedom Party of Austria]] and other far-right groups in Europe. The letter accused King of engaging in [[Antisemitic canard|antisemitic smearing]] of the Jewish investor and philanthropist [[George Soros]]. It concluded, "Rep. King has brought dishonor onto the House of Representatives. We strongly urge you and the congressional leadership to demonstrate your revulsion with Rep. King's actions by stripping him of his subcommittee chairmanship and initiating proceedings to formally censure or otherwise discipline him."<ref name=McCarthy /> Two leaders within the Iowa Jewish community also criticized King for being "an enthusiastic crusader for the same types of abhorrent beliefs held by the Pittsburgh shooter".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/iowa-jewish-leaders-slam-steve-king-as-crusader-for-beliefs-of-pittsburgh-shooter-1.6614880 |title=Iowa Jewish Leaders Slam Rep. Steve King as 'Crusader' for Beliefs of Pittsburgh Shooter |date=November 1, 2018 |agency=JTA |work=Haaretz |access-date=January 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114154722/https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/iowa-jewish-leaders-slam-steve-king-as-crusader-for-beliefs-of-pittsburgh-shooter-1.6614880 |archive-date=January 14, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Iowa Jewish leaders condemn Rep. Steve King as 'crusader' for beliefs of Pittsburgh shooter |url=https://www.jta.org/2018/10/31/politics/iowa-jewish-leaders-condemn-rep-steve-king-crusader-beliefs-pittsburgh-shooter |agency=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=October 31, 2018 |access-date=February 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222204632/https://www.jta.org/2018/10/31/politics/iowa-jewish-leaders-condemn-rep-steve-king-crusader-beliefs-pittsburgh-shooter |archive-date=February 22, 2019 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==Post-political career==
After King's loss in the 2020 Republican primary in Iowa's 4th congressional district, he wrote a book giving his account of what happened and travelled for several months to promote it. The book is entitled ''Walking Through the Fire: My Fight for the Heart and Soul of America''.<ref name=Ian>{{cite news|title=Former Rep. Steve King says there would need to be a 'groundswell' for him to seek office again|last=Richardson|first=Ian|work=[[Des Moines Register]]|date=December 8, 2021|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2021/12/08/former-us-rep-steve-king-iowa-need-groundswell-run-again-book-tour/8890765002/}}</ref> It was put out by Fidelis Publishing, known for publishing Christian and conservative books. King says he was motivated to write lest "the media and the elitists in the Republican Party write a political epitaph" for him.<ref name=Ian/> The book maintains that freedom of speech is being undermined and that the Democratic Party is weaponizing terms like "white nationalist" and "white supremacist".<ref name=Ian/> King claims his attempts to warn America about this was why he lost his party's support, saying "I'm trying to tell America, and what do they [Republican leadership] do? Politically assassinate me for trying to let them know what's happening to all of us."<ref name=Ian/>

In 2021, he told the ''Des Moines Register'' that while he currently had no plans to return to politics, he would if there was a "groundswell".<ref name=Ian/> He went on to say, "I don't see that at this point. But I do see a lot of support, and we've got a lot of policies and causes that we need to push. We've got state conventions coming up and a platform to be shaped."<ref name=Ian/>

King has campaigned against [[Carbon capture and storage|carbon-capture pipelines]]; at an August 2023 event cosponsored by the [[John Birch Society]], he criticized the use of [[Eminent domain in the United States|eminent domain]] and financial motivations behind the pipelines.<ref>{{cite web |last=Helton|first=Elijah| title='It is a war' on CO2 pipelines, King says | website=The N'West Iowa REVIEW | date=August 1, 2023 | url=https://www.nwestiowa.com/news/it-is-a-war-on-co2-pipelines-king-says/article_619ac55e-3303-11ee-9a9f-f314a5223525.html | access-date=September 5, 2023}}</ref>

In December 2023, King campaigned with [[2024 Republican Party presidential candidates|2024 presidential candidate]] [[Vivek Ramaswamy]] at an event in [[Lakeside, Iowa]], but stopped short of endorsing him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/vivek-ramaswamy-campaigns-former-congressman-history-racist-remarks-rcna129624 |last1=Bowman|first1=Bridget|last2=Tabet|first2=Alex|last3=Koretski|first3=Katherine|title=Vivek Ramaswamy campaigns with former congressman with history of racist remarks |work = [[NBC News]]|date= December 14, 2023}}</ref> In January 2024, he gave a full endorsement of him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wren |first=Adam |date=2024-01-02 |title=Former Iowa Rep. Steve King endorses Vivek Ramaswamy for president |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/02/steve-king-endorse-vivek-ramaswamy-2024-00133535 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{C-SPAN|1003590}}
* {{CongLinks | congbio=k000362 | votesmart=10853 | fec=H2IA05072 | congress=steve-king/1724 }}

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[[Category:1949 births]]
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