White supremacist David Duke, who said he was overjoyed by Donald Trump’s campaign, recently announced that he would run for U.S. Senate in Louisiana. U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) announced that he would not run for reelection leaving his seat open.
Republican leaders have suddenly found their consciences and are now exercising them.
“Louisiana voters will be able to choose from several Republican Senate candidates who will have a great impact on the Bayou State and the future of our country. David Duke is not one of them. He will not have the support of the NRSC under any circumstance,” Ward Baker, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a released statement on Friday.
Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus echoed that sentiment in a tweet today.
David Duke & his hateful bigotry have no place in the Republican Party & the RNC will never support his candidacy under any circumstance
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) July 23, 2016
I am doubtful that Priebus sees the irony. It’s unfortunate he acted to prevent RNC delegates to exercise their consciences in Cleveland. His action is essentially no different than what they wanted to do.