GOP Rep. Peter King rips Stephen Bannon as 'morally vacuous,' likens him to a 'disheveled drunk'

The morning after Democrat Doug Jones' stunning victory over Republican Roy Moore in the special election for Alabama's Senate seat, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) came out swinging against Stephen Bannon, the chairman of Breitbart News and former White House chief strategist. Bannon stumped hard for Moore, especially in the campaign's waning days, as part of his "war" on the GOP establishment.

"This guy does not belong on the national stage. He looks like some disheveled drunk that wandered onto the political stage," King said of Bannon, speaking to CNN's Chris Cuomo. A blinking Cuomo sat in silence as King ripped into Bannon before finally interjecting: "Peter King, I know where you're from and I know you like to knuckle up every now and then, but did you just call Steve Bannon a disheveled drunk?" King replied, "No, very precise — I said he looks like one."

Republican Rep. Peter King on Steve Bannon: “This guy does not belong on the national stage. He looks like some disheveled drunk that wandered onto the political stage. He does not represent anything that I stand for.” https://t.co/LqJHJ4lzi9

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 13, 2017

Aesthetics aside, King said that he didn't take nearly as much of an issue with Bannon's politics as he did his morals — or lack thereof. "He's not representing what I stand for," King said. He also claimed that Tuesday's election results were "a revulsion by people at [Bannon's] style, at his type of divisive views," adding that Bannon "encourages racial division." In a tweet earlier Wednesday, King again ripped Bannon as "morally vacuous":

After Alabama disaster GOP must do right thing and DUMP Steve Bannon. His act is tired, inane and morally vacuous. If we are to Make America Great Again for all Americans, Bannon must go! And go NOW!!

— Rep. Pete King (@RepPeteKing) December 13, 2017

While Bannon may the scapegoat de jour for Republicans like King — who were reluctant to support a candidate accused of sexually assaulting teenagers — people in the White House apparently blame Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.Y) for Moore's loss.