Republican Steve King questions whether humans would exist if not for 'rape and incest'

'It's not the baby's fault for the sin of the father, or of the mother'

(AP)

Steve King has questioned whether there would be “any population of the world left” if there were no rape or incest in history, as he defended an anti-abortion bill he once sponsored that made no exceptions for those cases

Mr King, a Republican from Iowa known for his extreme right views, made the comments during an appearance in Urbandale, Iowa, at a gathering for the Westside Conservative Club.

“What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that,” Mr King asked at that meeting.

He continued: “Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations, I know that I can’t say that I was not a part of a product of that.”

Later, he said: "It's not the baby's fault for the sin of the father, or of the mother."

The congressman has a history of making controversial statements, and has been punished by his own party for doing so.

In January, for instance, Mr King sparked a backlash when he questioned during an interview how the terms “white supremacist” and “white nationalist” had ever become “offensive”.

In response, Mr King was denounced by his Republican colleagues, and was removed from his positions on several committees in the House, including the Judiciary, Agriculture, and Small Business committees.