Steve King: John Boehner 'Didn't Deny' Calling Me An A**Hole

Steve King: John Boehner 'Didn't Deny' Calling Me An A**Hole
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House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio re-enacts the swearing in of Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) weighed in on whether House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) really did call him an "a**hole" back in July, arguing that Boehner's decision not to address the issue says something.

In an interview with CQ Roll Call published late Friday, King said he did not doubt Boehner called him that because “the speaker didn’t deny it."

“We have not had that discussion," King told Roll Call. "I don’t expect we will. That’s decorum on the floor of the House that shouldn’t have happened.”

As of Friday, a Boehner spokesperson declined to comment to CQ Roll Call.

King's remarks come two weeks after Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) claimed in a Texas Monthly piece that he overheard Boehner deliver the comment. The word was supposedly directed at King for his comparison of undocumented immigrants to drug mules with "calves the size of cantaloupes."

"Another Texas Democrat and I were standing a few feet away, and as the speaker passed us we thanked him for denouncing King's offensive comments," Castro told Texas Monthly. "He slowed his stride and then paused to turn toward us. 'What an a**hole,' he said. My thoughts exactly, Mr. Speaker."

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Before You Go

Conservatives Pointing Fingers
Former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)(01 of34)
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(credit:AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) (center) (02 of34)
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Former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)(03 of34)
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Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)(04 of34)
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)(05 of34)
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Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)(06 of34)
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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)(07 of34)
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Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.)(08 of34)
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Former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.)(09 of34)
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Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.)(10 of34)
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Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)(11 of34)
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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)(12 of34)
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Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.)(13 of34)
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Former Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) (right)(14 of34)
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Former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.)(15 of34)
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Former Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) (right)(16 of34)
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)(17 of34)
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Former Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.)(18 of34)
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Former Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas)(19 of34)
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Former Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.)(20 of34)
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Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)(21 of34)
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Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.)(22 of34)
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Former Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.)(23 of34)
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House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)(24 of34)
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Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R)(25 of34)
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)(26 of34)
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R)(27 of34)
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R)(28 of34)
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)(29 of34)
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Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R)(30 of34)
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Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R)(31 of34)
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Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)(32 of34)
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Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)(33 of34)
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)(34 of34)
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