When asked why he sponsored a failed amendment to prohibit the US Treasury from changing the $20 bill to feature freed slave Harriet Tubman, Iowa Republican caveman Steve King said it was because he was opposed to racism, sexism and divisiveness.

“It’s not about Harriet Tubman, it’s about keeping the picture on the $20,” King said Tuesday evening, pulling a $20 bill from his pocket and pointing at President Andrew Jackson. “Y’know? Why would you want to change that? I am a conservative, I like to keep what we have.”

The conservative gadfly said it is “racist” and “sexist” to say a woman or person of color should be added to currency. “Here’s what’s really happening, this is liberal activism on the part of the president, that’s trying to identify people by categories and he’s divided us on the lines of groups. … This is a divisive proposal on the part of the president and mine’s unifying. It says just don’t change anything.”

The rise of Donald Trump to the GOP nominee for president can be traced directly to decades of this kind of anti-rational nonsense from Republican politicians and pundits.