Steve King is now fundraising off of his 'white supremacist' comments

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is fundraising off of the backlash he's faced for endorsing white supremacy and white nationalism.

Des Moines' WHO-TV reported Wednesday that King sent a fundraising email to supporters calling the New York Times interview in which he was quoted asking why the terms "white supremacist" and "white nationalist" were offensive "fake news."

"As you may have noticed, the unhinged Left has teamed up with Republican 'NeverTrumpers' and is pulling out all the stops to destroy me," King wrote in an email whose subject read "Reject Their Labels."

"Since they were unable to defeat my campaign in the 2018 Midterm Elections," he added, "the rabid Leftist media is currently blasting the airwaves in a pathetic attempt to paint me as a 'racist.'"

“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King told the Times. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

WHO-TV noted that although King claimed he was questioning why "Western civilization" was lumped in with the other two terms, the congressman "previously questioned why 'white nationalism' specifically was offensive" in a previous interview with the news station.

Though King has been known for making white nationalist and racist comments for years, Congress only began making taking action to condemn him in the aftermath of the Times interview controversy.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution rebuking white supremacy -- that King, who insists he is neither a racist nor a white supremacist, voted for.

The House allowed to reprimand, censure and expel members, but as Politico reported earlier on Wednesday, Democrats have been reluctant to take up such measures against King for fear that it will lead to a slippery slope in which members' free speech can be violated.