Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) told the Des Moines Register Thursday that he intends to run for re-election, even as he faces three Republican primary challengers amid intense backlash over his history of racist comments.

The backdrop: King was denounced by leaders in the Republican party and stripped of his committee assignments last month, after he made comments in the New York Times questioning when language like "white nationalist," "white supremacist" and "Western civilization" became offensive. He told the Des Moines Register he has "nothing to apologize for," and blamed the Times and other media organizations for orchestrating dishonest attacks that unleashed widespread "cyber bullying" against him.