Steve King endorses Canadian mayoral candidate accused of espousing white nationalist, anti-Semitic views

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, is facing criticism after he endorsed a Toronto mayoral candidate who espouses white nationalist and anti-Semitic views. (Getty Images)

Republican Rep. Steve King is facing backlash after he publicly endorsed a white nationalist candidate for mayor in Toronto.

King, of Iowa, tweeted his support for Faith Goldy Tuesday. A controversial figure, Goldy has promoted books espousing anti-Semitic ideas and defending the white supremacist “14 words” slogan, according to the Toronto Star.

“Faith Goldy, an excellent candidate for Toronto mayor, pro Rule of Law, pro Make Canada Safe Again, pro balanced budget & … BEST of all, Pro Western Civilization and a fighter for our values,” King said in a tweet.

Kedron Bardwell, chair of Simpson College's political science department, told the Des Moines Register Goldy has said "Canada is undergoing a 'white genocide.'" She was also fired from Rebel Media, a far-right Canadian outlet, after she joined a podcast affiliated with the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer.

Goldy hasn’t been seen as a serious contender for mayor of Toronto. A recent Mainstreet Research poll has incumbent John Tory with 63.7 percent support, Jennifer Keesmaat with 30.7 percent and Goldy with 1.5 percent.

King’s tweet drew ire from many on social media, including Mark Salter, veteran speechwriter for the late Republican Sen. John McCain. Salter shared King’s tweet and commented, “Your daily (and it is almost daily) reminder that [King] is a white supremacist.”

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Adam Rubenstein, an assistant opinion editor with the conservative publication The Weekly Standard, called King “an embarrassment to the GOP and to America” in a piece about his endorsement.

King, who has served in Congress since 2003, is up for re-election this year. His Democratic opponent, J.D. Scholten, accused King of spending “more time supporting far-right leaders in other countries than he does focusing on the needs of the people of our district.”

Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s lawyer and former New York City mayor, stirred controversy last month when he posed for a picture with Goldy.

“An honour to meet with America’s Mayor on the campaign trail. I can’t wait to become Canada’s Mayor!” Goldy posted on Instagram. “Just like Giuliani cleaned up the streets of NYC, our tough on crime playbook is going to run illegal guns & gangs right out of Toronto!”

It's unclear if Giuliani knew who he was posing with at the time.

A spokesperson for King did not immediately return Fox News' request for comment Thursday morning.