Aug 28, 2019 - World

Rep. Steve King jokes about forcing Muslims in China to eat pork

 Rep. Steve King (R-IA) speaks at a press conference on abortion legislation on August 23

Rep. Steve King speaks at a press conference in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 23. Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) joked at a town hall in Audubon, Iowa, Tuesday about sterilizing Muslim women in China "so there’s no more Uighurs to be born," and "trying to force them to eat pork," the Sioux City Journal reports.

Why it matters: King has been struggling to attract donors over his previous controversial comments about race and abortion. Per Axios' Dave Lawler, China has detained an estimated 1 million to 2 million Uighur Muslims in the region of Xinjiang in internment camps. Under Islamic law, Muslims are forbidden from eating pork.

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