Rep. Steve King: Members of Austrian Party Founded By Nazis ‘Would Be Republicans’ if They Were in U.S.

Rep. Steve King defended his ties to an Austrian political party founded by Nazis by claiming that its members would be Republicans if they were in the United States.

In comments to the Washington Post, the Iowa Republican defended his ties to Austria’s Freedom Party, which was founded by a former Nazi SS officer and has deep ties neo-Nazis, calling the group “far right.”

“If they were in America pushing the platform that they push, they would be Republicans,” King told the Post.

The Freedom Party, whose leader also has ties to neo-Nazis, runs on a hardline anti-Muslim, anti-immigration platform, and last year formed a coalition government under Austria’s conservative new chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Per the Post, King recently gave an interview to the Freedom Party:

In an August interview with members of a far-right Austrian party with historical Nazi ties, King lamented that “Western civilization is on the decline” because of immigrants and criticized Jewish financier George Soros.

“What does this diversity bring that we don’t already have?” he asked then.

King has drawn outrage for his anti-immigrant views that often echo white nationalist talking points. He has frequently railed against diversity, and once infamously tweeted, “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.”

King also recently endorsed Toronto mayoral candidate Faith Goldy, a white nationalist internet personality who was fired from a right wing website because she appeared on a neo-Nazi podcast.

The Post‘s interview with him comes after 11 Jewish worshippers were gunned down at a Pennsylvania synagogue by a man who frequently pushed the conspiracy theory on social media that the caravan of Central American migrants is being funded by Jews.