You've read 1 article this month

The goal of our journalism is neither balance nor objectivity but accuracy, fairness and a fundamental honesty with our readers and members at all times.

Want better media? Support a better media company

  • Reader-funded
  • Unionized
  • Mission-driven

CNN Host Presses GOP Rep. On His Belief That Kids Need ‘Natural Family’ (VIDEO)

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

While discussing Donald Trump’s child care proposals on CNN Wednesday morning, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said that he wants to encourage the “natural family.”

“I want to respect all people, but I want to promote the natural family,” King said. “And I think that’s the most wholesome thing that we can do.”

King then defined the term “natural family” as “a man and a woman joined together hopefully in holy matrimony, blessed by God with children.”

CNN’s Chris Cuomo noted that research shows that kids raised by LGBT families “are doing just as well if not better” than those raised by a man and woman, which King dismissed.

“I think I’d need to look a little further into some of that research,” King said in response. “We got down the global warming argument and found out there’s another side to that equation too.”

The congressman then said the “natural family” is “the best and most wholesome way to raise a child.”

“And that’s been the case throughout thousands of years of human history. And I think we need to go with the things we know work,” King said.

Cuomo pushed back, arguing that what works is loving a child.

“Why not encourage anything that gets a child loved and provided for?” Cuomo asked.

“I just don’t think it’s true that there’s no reason to believe that a child needs a man and a woman to raise him,” King replied.

Cuomo then jumped in to say, “No, I didn’t say there’s no reason to believe it. I’m saying there’s plenty of reason to believe it’s not the only way it can be done well.”

King still insisted that the “evidence is very heavy on the other side of this thing,” arguing that children need both male and female role models.

Watch a clip via CNN:

Latest Livewire
40
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. “And that’s been the case throughout thousands of years of human history. And I think we need to go with the things we know work,” King said.

    This notion runs counter to the continued marketing of the so called "***universal TV remote***".
  2. Hey, Trumpies: You get a homophobe talking as your surrogate, this is what you’re gonna get.

  3. Steve King is one of the legion of Republican “science is hard” Barbies.
    There’s no hope. He really doesn’t know how science works, nor does he have any critical reasoning skills.

  4. King is an hysterical lunatic.

  5. Avatar for ajm ajm says:

    Steve King upon extending his remarks said that children should also be removed from the homes of widowers and widows because those unnatural families lack role models of each sex… oh …wait…

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

34 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for ajm Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for k_in_va Avatar for sysprog Avatar for artemisia Avatar for humpback Avatar for commiedearest Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for mantan Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for rockgolf Avatar for 538liberal Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for tiptree Avatar for beattycat Avatar for chicago11 Avatar for albesure Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for maximus Avatar for gregangelo Avatar for overthefall96 Avatar for bashful

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher & Digital Producer:
Senior Developer:
Senior Designer: