Conservative media figures are coming to the defense of Republican Congressman Steve King following widespread condemnation of his comments accusing undocumented immigrants of being drug smugglers.
During an interview with conservative outlet Newsmax, King attacked the undocumented youths known as DREAMers -- those who would have qualified under the DREAM Act proposal that repeatedly failed in Congress and who could meet the Senate immigration bill's DREAM Act provision -- saying that while he has sympathy for children who were brought into this country illegally by their parents, not all of them are valedictorians:
KING: And there are kids that were brought into this country by their parents unknowing that they were breaking the law. And they will say to me and others who would defend the rule of law: We have to do something about the 11 million. And some of them are valedictorians.
Well, my answer to that is - and then by the way their parents brought them here. And it wasn't their fault. It's true in some cases. But they're aren't all valedictorians. They weren't all brought in by their parents.
For every one who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there that -- they weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert.
In subsequent interviews with CNN and Radio Iowa, King stood by his remarks.
Republican Party leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Sen. Raul Labrador (R-ID), have condemned King's comments as“wrong,” “hateful,” and “inexcusable.” Boehner stated: “What he said is wrong. There can be honest disagreements about policy without using hateful language. Everyone needs to remember that.”
However, right-wing media figures have rallied to King's defense. On her radio show, Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham cited cases of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes and brought up instances of gang activity in border states to argue in support of King's comments.
She later stated: “So who's right? Steve King.” She then criticized media outlets for supposedly “vilifying” King, adding, “How about actually do some real reporting on how this stuff is affecting young people and spreading across this country?”
Breitbart.com's Matthew Boyle and radio host and frequent Fox News guest Mark Levin also defended King by bringing up cases of undocumented immigrants to claim, as Boyle did, “that the facts back King up.” Similarly, Levin referred to a March 2012 article reporting that the numbers of children being arrested for carrying drugs are rising to defend King: