Steve King's 5 Most Controversial Comments: Iowa Congressman Has History of Controversy

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) caused a social media firestorm on Sunday when he tweeted his support of populist right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders, declaring that "we can't restore our civilization with somebody's else's babies." Progressives and conservatives alike condemned the tweet for its racist and nativist undertones. On Monday morning, King doubled down on his comments in an appearance on CNN.

Read: Steve King Babies Comments: Watch Iowa Congressman Reaffirm 'Racist' Tweet In New Interview

It's not the first time King, who was first elected to Congress in 2002, has courted controversy. Below are five of King's most controversial quotes.

During last year's Republican National Convention, King wondered about the contributions of non-white people to civilization.

"This whole ‘white people’ business, though, does get a little tired, Charlie," he said to Esquire's Charlie Pierce during a MSNBC panel. "I mean, I’d ask you to go back through history and figure out where are these contributions that have been made by these other categories of people that you’re talking about. Where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization?"

In 2015, King introduced presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at a campaign stop and said the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage meant that "you can marry my lawnmower."

Later in an interview, King repeated his lawnmower comment.

"Their ruling really says anybody can marry anybody — and eventually it will be in any combination. I had a strong, Christian lawyer tell me yesterday that, under this decision that he has read, what it brings about is: It only requires one human being in this relationship — that you could marry your lawnmower with this decision. I think he's right."

In 2013, King said for every illegal immigrant who is a valedictorian, there are "100 out there" hauling marijuana across the desert.

"Some of them are valedictorians — and their parents brought them in. It wasn't their fault. It's true in some cases, but they aren't all valedictorians. They weren't all brought in by their parents."

"For everyone who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds — and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert."

In 2012, King defended fellow Republican Rep. Todd Akin's comments that women couldn't get pregnant from rape by saying he had never personally heard of such a thing happening.

"Well I just haven't heard of that being a circumstance that's been brought to me in any personal way, and I'd be open to discussion about that subject matter," King said.

He later walked back his comments in a statement, saying "I never said, nor do I believe, a woman, including minors, cannot get pregnant from rape, statutory rape or incest. Suggesting otherwise is ridiculous, shameful, disgusting and nothing but an attempt to falsely define who I am."

In 2008, King said radical Islamist terrorists will be "dancing in the streets" if Barack Obama became president, because Obama's middle name is "Hussein."

"And I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the, the radical Islamists, the, the al-Qaeda, and the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11...

"It does matter, his middle name does matter. It matters because they read a meaning into that in the rest of the world, it has a special meaning to them. They will be dancing in the streets because of his middle name."