Republican Congressman Claimed There Was a 'Racial War' in America Started By Blacks on Whites

Republican Congressman Jason Lewis of Minnesota is again on the defensive after the emergence of further controversial audio from a radio show he once hosted. In the segments released by CNN Friday, the lawmaker claimed black people have an "entitlement mentality" and warned that were waging a "racial war" against white people.

"There's a cultural problem in the African-American community that is leading to this. The entitlement mentality," Lewis said during The Jason Lewis Show in December 2012, according to audio files obtained by CNN.

Lewis, who is is also up for re-election this year, claimed such a mentality led to violence in the black community.

"You're a victim. It's OK to hate women, beat up women. It's OK to hate gays," Lewis added. "All this, we're just sort of feeding this to people who are very lost because of the breakdown of society to begin with."

On an August 2012 broadcast, Lewis said there tended to be more trouble at social gatherings with predominantly black people compared to other races, saying: "When there is a predominantly black festival, there's trouble."

Lewis's disparaging comments about black people did not end there. He has falsely claimed that "the real victims of most racial violence are not are not members of the minorities in America. They are white people."

In one instance, he claimed there was a "racial war" already ongoing in the United States.

"Another thing the media is ignoring that's the return of race riots in America, in Chicago, in Philadelphia, and all across the fruited plain, there is a racial war going on," he said in December 2012.

The latest revelations came on the back of a CNN report Wednesday that Lewis said he couldn't believe it wasn't acceptable to call women "sluts" anymore during one of his shows in 2012.

"Well, the thing is, can we call anybody a slut?" Lewis said. "But it used to be that women were held to a little bit of a higher standard. We required modesty from women. Now, are we beyond those days where a woman can behave as a slut, but you can't call her a slut?"

Lewis and his campaign manager, Becky Alery, continue to brush off any past comments made by the congressman.

In a statement to Newsweek Friday, Alery claimed that "political opponents seem intent on digging up old shows from his days as a radio host." She also blasted CNN for its reporting, saying the news organization is "on a mission to elect Democrats by deliberately ignoring Lewis's record in office while continuing to go back years searching for anything they can find."

She went on to say that by reporting on this, it is "an orchestrated attempt at making anyone who supports reducing illegitimacy or crime in minority communities, Voter ID laws and work requirements for public assistance back off their public policy positions."

In a YouTube video released Thursday, Lewis continued to defend his past comments by saying he's answered a lot of "silly questions" as a broadcaster and politician. He quickly steered his statement toward bashing his Democratic opponent, Angie Craig.

Alery has also defended his comments to CNN, telling the news outlet that it was simply Lewis's job to "be provocative while on the radio."

During his 2016 campaign, the Atlantic reported on a slew of racist and misogynistic comments Lewis had made in previous years as a syndicated talk radio show host. Despite this, Lewis narrowly defeated Craig.