Skip to content

Baby Announcement by Steve King Gets Political

There are few things cuter than a proud grandfather, even if Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, used the newborn’s photo op to talk politics.

The six-term member took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to share that his sixth grandchild, Wallace Henry King, had arrived at 5:21 a.m.

Jeff King, the youngest of the congressman’s three sons, and wife Lindsay welcomed the 7-pound, 14-ounce baby into the world in Carroll, Iowa.

The tweet — complete with texting-style smiley and a shout-out to God for the “priceless miracle” — started sweet.

But King ended the blurb with a number that kind of killed the “oohs” and “ahhs.”

“National debt share $54,310,” he wrote.

While Democrats may call it a jab and Republicans may argue it’s just a reminder of the times we live in, the crafty add-in by King elicited a number of retweets and responses from followers.

Some commenters bashed him for promoting economic statistics while others congratulated King and apologized that the child was born into a nation with a national debt of more than $17 trillion.

Also tweeting birth announcements this week were House Republicans Kevin Yoder of Kansas and Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, though both kept it solely family-focused.

Recent Stories

FDA delays menthol ban following lobbying war

House tees up censure vote for Rep. Jamaal Bowman over fire alarm pull

Framework appropriations deal elusive as session winds down

War supplemental stymied in Senate over border holdup

Congress takes holiday decorating seriously. This year it caused an outcry

House Judiciary panel advances renewal of surveillance authority