Sarah Sanders: Rep. King's White Supremacy Remarks 'Abhorrent'

The White House is describing comments by Republican Rep. Steve King about white supremacy as "abhorrent."

Presidential press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed the issue with reporters at the White House Wednesday morning.

"Steve King's comments were abhorrent," she said.

She also praised the move by House Republicans to strip the nine-term Iowa lawmaker of his committee assignments.

"The Republican leadership, unlike Democrats, have actually taken action when their members have said outrageous and inappropriate things," she added.

King was quoted last week by The New York Times as saying: "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?"

Those comments were widely denounced as racist.

The House on Tuesday approved a Democrat-sponsored  measure rebuking King. In addition, a member of the Republican leadership suggested that King leave Congress.

When President Donald Trump was asked on Monday about King's remarks, he said: "I haven't been following it."