Rep. Steve King claims his praise for rape and incest is 'about compassion'

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) over the weekend defended his comments in favor of rape and incest, describing his stance arguing in favor of sexual crimes as “about compassion.”

King has been widely condemned for his comments last Tuesday, in which he argued that rape and incest are activities mankind should be grateful for because they kept the “population of the world” going.

For King, rape and incest are not conditions under which a woman would be allowed to have an abortion.

On Saturday, at a town hall in Storm Lake, Iowa, a voter confronted King and asked him if he stood by his remarks.

“Factual and thought-provoking statements sometimes are more than people could handle,” King said.

He touted his support for the most extreme anti-choice bills, at both the state and federal levels, and defended the practice of forcing women to give birth even if they have been raped or are the victims of incest.

“I did not allow exceptions for rape and incest in that bill because those babies that are born as a product of those activities are as precious as you are, or any of my grandchildren are,” King continued. “I don’t want to stigmatize those people in this country — or the world, for that matter — if they’re a product of rape or incest.”

Later, he concluded, “This is about compassion and it’s about not wanting to stigmatize these folks.”

King’s position in favor of forced childbirth, despite public objections to his phrasing from Republican leaders, is echoed in the party’s platform as endorsed at their 2016 convention.

King also complained about the media reporting on his initial comments.

“There is a vibrant and very active left-wing media out there that stirs people up across this country,” he said. “Social media spreads it like a virus, like a plague.”

As his comments spread toward the end of the week, King lashed out using his Twitter account at those criticizing his extremism.

“You’re Pro-Abortion & Pro-PBA & Pro-Infanticide & believe ProLifers are the moral equivalent of racists & anti-Semites,” he wrote in response to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) who called on him to resign.

He posted a photo of a handwritten message placed on his front door reading, “CNN: No Fake News Interviews Today — Steve King.”

King lashed out at Republican criticism as well.

“Establishment Republicans are smearing Pro-Lifers because THEY are ProLife posers who fear exposure,” he wrote on Friday.

King was clearly not ashamed of his comments in favor of rape or incest and was straightforward in continuing to defend them while arguing for limits on women’s health and lives.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.