Donald Trump received last week a quasi-endorsement no politician should ever want to receive. David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard and Louisianan state representative, encouraged his listeners to vote for and volunteer for Trump even though he said he wasn’t making a formal endorsement.
āVoting for these people (referring to Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio), voting against Donald Trump at this point, is really treason to your heritage,ā Duke, a former KKK grand wizard and Louisiana state representative said on the David Duke Radio Program firstĀ reported by Buzzfeed.
DukeĀ later told Politico,Ā āHeās made it OK to talk about these incredible concerns of European Americans today, because I think European Americans know they are the only group that canāt defend their own essential interests and their point of view. Heās meant a lot for the human rights of European Americans.ā
Donald Trump on Sunday morning botched what should have been a softball type of question. Jake Tapper on CNN asked Trump whether or not he would disavow David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan.
“I have to look at the group. I mean, I don’t know what group you’re talking about,” Trump said. “You wouldn’t want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I’d have to look. If you would send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them and certainly I would disavow if I thought there was something wrong. You may have groups in there that are totally fine — it would be very unfair. So give me a list of the groups and I’ll let you know.”
Tapper responded: “OK. I’m just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here, but –“
And Trump said: “Honestly, I don’t know David Duke. I don’t believe I’ve ever met him. I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet him. And I just don’t know anything about him.”
Trump did meet David Duke in 2000 however and knew about his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan.
Trump after the interview on CNN said on Twitter he did disavow David Duke during a press conference on Friday.
As I stated at the press conference on Friday regarding David Duke- I disavow. pic.twitter.com/OIXFKPUlz2
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016
However he still didn’t disavow the KKK and white supremacists even when given multiple opportunities to do so. U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) his chief opponents on Super Tuesday did have a ready response seen on Twitter.
Really sad. @realDonaldTrump you're better than this. We should all agree, racism is wrong, KKK is abhorrent. https://t.co/dn2D74c5dl
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 28, 2016
We cannot be a party that nominates someone who refuses to condemn white supremacists and the Ku Klux Klan.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2016
You can watch his full interview below, the discussion of David Duke begins at the 5:55 mark:
