Steve King of Iowa, one of the most controversial members of Congress has lost his bid for re-nomination. King, a nine-term Republican suffered one of the biggest defeats of the 2020 Republican primary season. The defeat will most likely end his political career.
71-year-old King is openly racist. He has befriended European far-right leaders, among them disgraced far-right Austrian politician, Heinz-Christian Strache and made headlines with racist remarks about immigrants. King proudly stated that he had no problem with white supremacists. His comments caused such an uproar that even Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader, told Rep. King “to find another line of work.”
King would have a hard time to find friends among fellow Republicans but he has found understanding admirers among Hungary’s diplomats in Washington DC. A small group of Hungarian Americans share his views and King became a frequent visitor at the Embassy attending Hungarian events and parties. He was also an active member of the Hungarian-American Congressional Caucus.
Ambassador Réka Szemerkenyi, an Orbán confidant has developed close ties with King. Not surprisingly Amb. Szemerkényi also supported far-right Hungarian politicians. She even briefed neo-Nazi Jobbik MPs in Washington. (Read Szemerkenyi’s explanation here)
Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi (left) and Rep. Steve King in his Congressional Office
When she met the Congressman in his Confederate-Flag-decorated office, King assured her that he supported Viktor Orbán’s campaign against “Satan George Soros.” Although Ms. Szemerkényi is not Hungary’s ambassador anymore, she still works in Washington for a think-tank, The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
Rep. King was also close to fired White House advisor Sebastian Gorka. Gorka also has had well-publicized contacts with far-right Hungarians in the past and later used his dubious fame to advertise fish oil pills. (Watch Mr. Gorka’s remarkable ad here)
Rep. King with Sebastian Gorka.
You may read our earlier articles about King’s support of white supremacism (read here) and his endorsement of Viktor Orbán’s struggle against “mixing cultures” (read here).
Now even President Trump is pleased with King’s defeat. He tweeted to his challenger, Mr. Randy Feenstra: “You’ll be a great Congressman.”
György Lázár
Nice reminder Mr. Lázár to us all, who Mr. Orbán’s bedfellows are in America.
The entire Christian white supremacist alt-right movement, including the head of the Klu Klux Klan are head over heals for the man who is in charge of the largest neo-fascist revival within the North Atlantic community today. No doubt, the artificial blond bomber in the White House or his surrogate in Budapest, the diamond merchant David Cornstein and the last of the Koch brother that remains standing, will give Mr. King a fine stipend so he can stick to his disgusting play book. No doubt the Hungarian Initiatives Fund, the Matthias Corvinus Fund, the American Hungarian Educator’s Association, The American Hungarian Coalition, The Magyar Foundation, and the other groups who are funded in America with funds stolen by Viktor Orbán from Europe’s taxpayers will keep Mr. King afloat on the sea of garbage he happens to enjoy swimming in.
Shortly before the 2018 election, the National Republican Congressional Committee withdrew funding for King’s reelection campaign and its chairman, Steve Stivers, condemned King’s conduct, although Iowa’s Republican senators and governor continued to endorse him.
@ Tamiflu
Ah, the old tummy flu again, huh ? Just ask Joe for some Buffering (sic)
@ Mr. Lázár
Who are the two smiling ladies with MR. King in the top photo ? And is that a banana or a youborka hangin’ out of Gorka’s jacket pocket? What kinda Vitéz is this guy?
Dear András… Here we go…
Ms. Aniko Gaal Schott (left in black blazer) is 76 and left Hungary in 1956. She is a close friend of Amb. Szemerkényi. As I understand she had an interior decorating contract with the new Hungarian Embassy.
Here is her bio: Anikó Gáal Schott grew up in Montreal, Canada, where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry at Sir George Williams University and went on to study dentistry at McGill University. From 1967-1978, she traveled abroad with the U.S. Foreign Service as a dependant, serving in Ecuador, Brazil and East Germany for 11 years. She is the founder of A. Gaal & Associates, a Washington, D.C. based design and consulting firm, and is active participant in numerous charities, including many Hungarian causes. As a Presidential Appointee, she is serving on President George W. Bush’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee, representing the public (2003-2006). Among her awards are: the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary, Brazil’s National Order of the Southern Cross, the Star Medal of Honor from the Transylvania World Federation and New York City’s Gold Key Award. She is married to Nash Whitney Schott, a retired Federal Prosecutor. They live in Washington, D.C.
Susan Hutchison (66) is from Seattle. She was a journalist and an associate of Charles Simonyi, the reclusive Hungarian-born Microsoft billionaire. She run the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for the Arts and Sciences and she was also the ex-chair of the Washington State Republican Party. (Republicans are a small minority in that state.) She resigned on 5 February 2018 “amid speculation that she would take a position with the administration of President Donald Trump.” Trump did not appoint her and later Hutchison was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in the 2018 election, losing to incumbent Democrat Maria Cantwell.
Both are regular guests at Hungarian embassy events.