CNN’s Kirsten Powers: ‘There’s Not That Much Difference’ Between Trump and Steve King

On Monday, Donald Trump became one of the few Republicans to refuse to condemn Rep. Steve King‘s (R-IA) racist comments, and CNN political analyst Kirsten Powers thinks she knows why: because “there’s not that much difference” between Trump and King.

During Monday’s broadcast of CNN Newsroom With Brooke Baldwin, host Brooke Baldwin played a clip of Trump talking to reporters as he departed for Nashville New Orleans. When asked about King’s comments, Trump claimed “I haven’t been following it. I really haven’t been following it.”

“I’m sure he knows,” Powers said.

King’s remarks — in which he asked “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” — have been widely reported over the past several days, and have been condemned by every elected Republican who has been asked.

“Whenever he’s given an opportunity to condemn racism,” Powers continued, “he chooses not to, or he does the both sides, fine people on both sides, or during the campaign, when the alt right was saying all sorts things and being a huge supporter his, just declined to condemn them.”

“One of the questions we should all be asking… is what’s the difference between him and Donald Trump,” Powers said. “There’s not that much difference.”

Powers also called out Republicans for suddenly deciding King is “a problem,” when King has a long history of such comments.

“So this is a much bigger problem for the Republican Party than just a few comments,” Powers said.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has promised that “action will be taken” against King, but did not specify what that action will be. Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush (D- IL) has introduced a resolution to censure King in the House of Representatives.

Watch the clip above, via CNN.