GOP Rep. Steve King: San Francisco woman's murder is an 'opportunity' to defund sanctuary cities

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) urged Republicans to use the murder of Kathryn Steinle by an undocumented immigrant as an "opportunity" to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities such as San Francisco.

"Sanctuary cities exist because of the left, because of the open border policy," King told Newsmax host J.D. Hayworth on Wednesday. "Yes, there is blood on their hands and San Francisco is at fault. All of California is a sanctuary state today, and many states have these jurisdictions like this."

King explained that he had sponsored an amendment this year -- as he had in years past -- that would block Department of Justice grants to law enforcement agencies in cities which provide sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.

The Iowa Republican pointed out that the House of Representatives had approved the bill, but the bill had died in the Senate in previous years. But he said that Steinle's death and Donald Trump's recent comments about Mexicans being "rapists" could change all that.

"We've got an opportunity to hold that language because of Donald Trump and because of this national crisis," King asserted.

In defense of Trump's remarks, King said the "crime that comes in across the southern border" was "appalling."

"The young lady that was murdered in San Francisco, that happens every day in America," the congressman insisted. "In fact, that happens multiple times a day in America."

Watch the video below from Newsmax, broadcast July 9, 2015.