Cliven Bundy’s militia supporters came to his defense on Thursday after reports of a racist tirade last weekend in which the Nevada rancher wondered if “the Negro” was “better off” under slavery.
“There are new rumors going around about Cliven. We all know that with the media, words are taken out of context, meanings are twisted, and they can take anything and turn it into what they want it to be,” a post on the official Bundy Ranch Facebook page reads. “Cliven is a good man, he loves all people, he is not a racist man. He wants what is best for everyone.”
After Bundy declared victory over the Bureau of Land Management following a standoff over grazing fees, conservatives rallied around his anti-government activism.
However, following Bundy’s most recent remarks, most of his prominent supporters who have spoken up have condemned his views on African-Americans and slavery.