Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) has once again touched off a media firestorm with remarks opposing abortion that seemed to imply humanity wouldn’t exist without rape and incest.

“What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?” King told a meeting of the Westside Conservative Club in a suburb of Des Moines on Wednesday.

“Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that’s taken place, I know that I can't certify that I’m not a part of a product of that,” the controversial congressman added.

King, a devout Catholic, was trying to explain why he opposed to exceptions for rape and incest in anti-abortion laws he proposed in Congress, arguing that even if conception occurs under bad circumstances the product of it is still a person.

“It's not the baby's fault for the sin of the father, or of the mother,” he told the audience of about 50 people at the breakfast meeting.

Within hours, however, King’s remarks were national news, with online pundits arguing they were a reflection of the entire Republican party and President Donald Trump.

Steve King hits the nail on the head - 'Without rape and incest there would be no Republican Party' (paraphrased) https://t.co/FvIn0EtSnV — John Lundin 🌊 (@johnlundin) August 14, 2019

If not for Steve King and other white supremacist misogynists pushing their deplorable agenda on the American people, our world would be a much better place for everyone. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) August 14, 2019

Reminder: Ted Cruz picked Steve King as his Campaign National Co-Chair. pic.twitter.com/54YuHE16lr — Adam Best (@adamcbest) August 14, 2019

Republican politician Randy Feenstra, who is mounting a primary challenge to King, also condemned the “bizarre comments and behavior” that “diminish our message and damage our cause.”

Wednesday’s remarks are only the latest instance of King saying something controversial. In January, he was stripped of all his committee assignments after the New York Times cited him as defending “white supremacy.” King maintains he was misquoted.

Also on rt.com ‘Will America wake up?’ Republican congressman retweets anti-immigration post from white supremacist

In June 2018, he drew outrage by retweeting anti-immigrant sentiments from a British National Party activist. The year prior, he said the West “can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies.”

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