It’s been a grim election season this year, especially considering tragedies like the ones in Orlando and Baton Rouge in the last few months. Despite the positive outpouring of support from current news outlets and support organizations, the situation continues to escalate.

Officials in the republican party have made their platform for the coming election clear, but some of the racial issues that it brings up are far from what most black news websites want to report.

Steve King, Republican Representative of Iowa, recently asked, “Where are these contributions that have been made by these other categories of people that you are talking about? Where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization [than white people]??

Entertainment news and current news sites alike were shocked that he had made such a comment on live television. Immediately afterwards, panel members were speaking over one another in clear discomfort and anger at the remark. In fact, one of the panel members elected to stop further argument from happening by cutting to commercial.

As a result, multiple current and even celeb news outlets have criticized the panel for not allowing the discussion to continue.

The incident has sparked outrage among urban news and black news websites. The statement may not have been an outright statement of support for the white supremacist movement, but the views it implies are too close for comfort.

After a member of the panel interviewing King remarked that the Republican convention was made up primarily of “old white men,” King took offense and stated that the “old white people” facts get “a little tired.”

April Ryan, the first panel member to speak out, has made it clear that she will no longer put up with Steve King or others like him who choose to make such remarks.

Meanwhile the rest of mainstream media glossed over this issue and chose instead to focus on Melania Trump’s speech, which prompted even more criticism from black news websites.

No matter how you look at it, King’s comment was clearly a racist statement, and it was glossed over by media. Before condemning an act of plagiarism, it may be more important to protect the nation from harmful ideologies like the ones that Steve King preaches.