A senior Republican congressman has been blocked by his own party from sitting on committees after his universally condemned remarks about white supremacy.

Steve King, in his ninth term representing Iowa in Washington, will not be given committee assignments for the next two years, House minority leader Kevin McCarthy said.

Mr King had served on the agriculture, small business and judiciary committees in the last Congress, also chairing the judiciary's subcommittee on the constitution and civil justice.

Mr McCarthy, who met with Mr King on Monday to discuss his GOP future, said the comments were “beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America.”

His remarks “call into question whether he will treat all Americans equally, without regard for race and ethnicity,” Mr McCarthy added.

“House Republicans are clear - We are all in this together, as fellow citizens equal before God and the law.”

Mr King, who has a history of making incendiary comments, was condemned from all sides of the House following a series of his remarks that appeared in a New York Times story last week.

“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” he asked during an interview with the newspaper. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

Following the publication of the article, Mr King issued a statement describing himself as a “nationalist”, but insisted he was not promoting white nationalism or white supremacist beliefs.

On Monday, he described Mr McCarthy’s decision to remove him from committees “a political decision that ignores the truth.”

He vowed to “continue to point out the truth and work with all the vigour that I have to represent 4th District Iowans for at least the next two years.”

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Several top GOP figures have move to publicly denounce Mr King’s comments.

Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said on Monday there was “no place in the Republican Party, the Congress or the country for an ideology of racial supremacy of any kind.”

Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz told NBC’s Meet the Press what Mr King had said was “stupid”.

Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Show all 23 1 /23 Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Joe Biden The former vice president - poised to be a frontrunner - has announced his run. He recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Bernie Sanders The 2016 runner-up has announced that he will be running again in 2020 Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Hillary Clinton The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State says she is “still considering” whether she will run again. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Pete Buttigieg The Indiana mayor and war veteran will be running for president. If elected, he would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kamala Harris The former California attorney general will be running for president in 2020. Introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions’ testimony, she has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Senator has formally launched her bid for president in 2020. A progressive Democrat, she is a major supporter of regulating Wall Street. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Beto O’Rourke The former Texas congressman told Oprah Winfrey that he “has been thinking about running for presidency”, but stopped short of formally announcing his bid to run in 2020. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam has announced his bid. He intends to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Vice News Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that “healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.” Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has announced that he will be running for the presidency in 2020. If he secures the nomination he said finding a female vice president would be a priority. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a “special meaning” for the Latino community in the US. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Michael Bloomberg The entrepreneur and former New York mayor– with a net worth of around $50bn – has said he will decide by the end of February whether to seek the presidency. AFP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Howard Schultz Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has not yet ruled out running for president in 2020, despite criticism that his bid could help re-elect Mr Trump by dividing the Democrat vote. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Holder The former attorney general has said he will decide in “the next month or so” whether to run as a 2020 presidential candidate. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Swalwell The California congressman said he is “ready to do this” and will decide before April whether to run. MSNBC Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Terry McAuliffe The former Virginia governor, who worked to elect Democratic governors during 2018 midterms, said there was a “50 per cent” chance he would run. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Sherrod Brown The Ohio senator is still undecided about whether to run for president in 2020. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Mitch Landrieu The former New Orleans mayor said he doesn’t think he will run for president, but “never say never”. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

“I think all of us ought to be united, regardless of party, in saying, white supremacism, white nationalism, is hatred. It is bigotry. It is evil. It is wrong,” he added.

Meanwhile, House Democrats moved to formally punish Mr King, including James Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, who introduced a formal resolution of disapproval late on Monday.

Addressing what he called “a tale of two kings,” Mr Clyburn noted his resolution against the Iowa congressman’s remarks came a day before the 90th birthday of celebrated civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr.

Illinois representative, Bobby Rush, said he will introduce a censure resolution, a more serious action to reprimand Mr King, claiming it would tell the world Congress rejected “repugnant and racist behaviour.”