Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) needs “therapy for his melon fixation,” according to Hispanic GOP strategist Ana Navarro.
During a “Meet The Press” interview on Sunday, NBC’s David Gregory asked the representative about last month’s controversial remarks against immigration reform, in which he seemed to imply that a majority of Dreamers were drug smugglers. Navarro quickly smacked down King’s comments calling the Iowa politician a “mediocre congressman” that didn’t represent the Republican party.
In July, King told Newsmax about the problems with the current immigration bill, a discussion that led to the representatives contentious comment on young undocumented immigrants.
"For everyone who's a valedictorian," King claimed, "there's another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert. Those people would be legalized with the same act."
While on “Meet The Press,” Gregory asked the Iowa congressman whether he really thought most Dreamers are linked to the drug trade.
“My characterization was exclusively to drug smugglers, and anybody that understands the language and the culture should be able to watch that tape and know that,” King said after insisting his numbers had not debunked.
(Check Out The “Meet The Press” Interview Above)
Despite backing his previous comments, the Iowa representative said he also sympathized with certain Dreamers.
“That tugs at my heartstrings too, the Valedictorians, but this [bill] proposes to legalize a lot of people that will include the people who are drug smugglers up to the age of 35, you cannot do a background check on people who don’t have a legal existence in their home country,” King continued. “My heart goes out to Valedictorian’s who were brought here by their parents, so does everybody’s in America, but we cannot put our sympathies for people in that condition greater for our love for the rule of law or the sovereignty of the United States of America.”
Hispanic Republican analyst Ana Navarro called King a "hateful idiot" via Twitter last month but on Sunday was able to directly respond to the congressman's comments and attitude toward immigration reform.
“Well first of all, I think that Congressman King should go get himself some therapy for his melon fixation. I think there might be medication for that,” Navarro told NBC’s David Gregory as King listened via satellite. “I think he’s a mediocre congressman with no legislative record and the only time he makes national press is when he comes out and says something offensive about the undocumented or Hispanics.”
Navarro continued by saying some good had come out of King’s comments as GOP leaders like House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have been pushed to speak out against the Iowa representative and in support of immigration reform. The Hispanic analyst also added that Republicans were not going to allow “somebody like Steve King” to define the party.
King responded to Navarro by clarifying his characterization again and asking for sympathy for the Americans “dying because of our immigration policy and open border,” citing the drug trade and terrorist infiltration via the border.
“We need to secure the border first, restore the rule of law, then we can have this discussion that you want to get to,” King added. “And not be insulting people in the process.”
“You’re going to talk to me about insulting people, Congressman?” Navarro asked King.
Before You Go
