Cruz called King to offer support after criticism that he runs with racists and Neo-Nazis
AUSTIN, TX – Steve King (R-IA), an unabashed white nationalist and anti-immigrant congressman, has now lost national GOP support and corporate sponsors. His race has become much more competitive with only days to go until the election. Republicans have distanced themselves from King after he endorsed an avowed white nationalist who ran for mayor in Toronto and provided an interview to a far-right Austrian party with Nazi roots. These are just the latest in a career characterized by King’s white nationalism.
But yet, as King has found himself increasingly isolated, he’s found support from his old friend, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. King served as Cruz’s campaign co-chairman during his failed presidential run in 2016, but yet has remained loyal to him despite King’s close ties to white nationalists and Neo-Nazis.
Mario Carrillo, Texas State Director of America’s Voice Texas issued the following statement:
You’d figure that it’d be easy to denounce and distance yourself from someone who has questioned if “sub-groups”, as King calls people who aren’t white, have contributed anything to civilization. And, given the times we’re in, it shouldn’t be hard to create distance from someone who touts Neo-Nazis. But not Ted Cruz, no. Instead, King gets a supportive call from the Junior Senator from Texas.”
For Cruz, King is long-time ally and supporter. But, Latinos across the country know him and his hateful words about us very well. As the saying goes, “dime con quien andas y te digo quien eres”, or, “tell me who you’re with and I tell you who you are”, and Cruz’s continued friendship with King tells us that he has no intention of bringing our divided country together, and will instead continue to demagogue and demonize immigrants.
During his campaign against Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Cruz has followed Donald Trump’s playbook of dividing and distracting us, while Texans remain largely in favor of allowing immigrants to stay in the country, and Dreamers to receive citizenship. Cruz’s support of Steve King and his racism goes against Texas values. Texans deserve a senator who will uplift the diversity that makes Texas great and not one who stands with and supports white nationalists.
