As US politics continues its concerning drift towards the extreme right, the children of a Republican candidate from Missouri have spoken to the media to denounce their own dad for his racist and homophobic views, and urge people not to vote for him in the upcoming House election.
64-year-old Steve West won a primary for a Missouri House of Representatives seat in August, on a platform of restoring “old American family values and traditions”, but has since drawn negative attention for espousing bigotry against Jews, Muslims and LGBT people on his radio show.
The Kansas City Star spoke to his daughter Emily West, who said it’s “insane” that some local residents are putting signs for him on their lawns, adding: “A lot of his views are just very out there. He’s made multiple comments that are racist and homophobic and how he doesn’t like the Jews.”
His son Andy West was equally emphatic, saying:
“My dad’s a fanatic. He must be stopped. His ideology is pure hatred. It’s totally insane … If he gets elected, it would legitimize him. Then he would become a state official, and he’s saying that Jews shouldn’t even have civil rights.”
Steve West, whose campaign website helpfully notes that he is “high energy [and] the same weight I graduated from high school”, responded by saying that his recent comments have been taken “out of context” and he wouldn’t condone violence of any kind.
This is not the first time a candidate’s own family has turned against them in recent months. Back in September, the siblings of Republican candidate Paul Gosar condemned him in a political attack ad for his opponent, slamming his “erratic” behaviour and his positions on immigration and the environment.
