Steve King's Rape and Incest Abortion Comments
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Overview
Steve King's Rape and Incest Abortion Comments refers to the controversy regarding a series comments U.S. Congressman Steve King made in regards to abortions in the case of rape and incest. He said, "What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?" The comments sparked a national outrage against King, who many called to resign.
Background
On August 14th, 2019, United States Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) delivered a speech at the Westside Conservative Club in Urbandale, Iowa.[1] During his speech, he commented on his support for a ban on abortion in the case of rape and incest (video below). He said:
What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?
Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages taken place and whatever happened to culture after society? I know I can't certify that I'm not a part of a product of that.
Developments
Government Response
Following the comments, numerous Democratic presidential candidates criticized King's comments. That day, Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted, [2] "Steve King is a racist, a misogynist and a disgrace to the country. He should not be a member of the United States Congress." The tweet received more than 50,000 likes and 8,600 retweets in 24 hours (shown below, left).
Senator Cory Booker tweeted,[3] "Iowans have long deserved better than Steve King and his hateful, insulting words. He should resign." The tweet received more than 5,800 likes and 1,500 retweets in 24 hours (shown below, center).
Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted,[4] "Steve King must resign. His latest comment is a disgusting attack on victims of sexual assault. The people of #IA04 deserve better. We must work together to elect @JDScholten in 2020." Within 24 hours, the tweet received more than 30,000 likes and 7,000 retweets (shown below, right).
According to CBS, numerous Republicans also criticized King's comments. The Iowa Republican Party called the comments "outrageous" and "not reflective of its party's views," reports CBS.
Online Reaction
That day, the comments inspired a thread on the /r/politics subreddit. Redditor [5] Tananar posted about the controversy. The thread received more than 16,000 points (95% upvoted) and 2,000 comments in 24 hours.
Throughout the day, others criticized Steve King on Twitter. One of the most popular tweets was by author Stephen King, who tweeted,[6] "Let's get 1 thing straight. I'm not THAT Steve King." Within 24 hours, the tweet received more than 160,000 likes and 14,000 retweets (shown below).
Media Coverage
Several media outlets covered the controversy, including NBC,[7] the LA Times,[8] the New York Times,[9] the National Review[10] and more.
Search Interest
External References
[1] Des Moines Register – U.S. Rep. Steve King: If not for rape and incest, 'would there be any population left?'
[2] Twitter – @BernieSanders' Tweet
[3] Twitter – @CoryBooker's Tweet
[4] Twitter – @ewarren's Tweet
[5] Reddit – U.S. Rep. Steve King: If not for rape and incest, 'would there be any population left?'
[6] Twitter – @StephenKing's Tweet
[7] NBC – Steve King's rape comments reveal the misogyny at the heart of white supremacist ideology
[8] LA Times – Rep. Steve King says rapes, incest helped populate the world
[9] New York Times – Steve King Asks if There Would Be ‘Any Population’ Left Without Rape and Incest
[10] The National Review – Republicans Condemn Steve King for ‘Offensive’ Rape and Incest Comments
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