David Duke Praises Trump For Remarks Defending Pro-Confederate Protesters

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke speaks to supporters at a reception Saturday, May 29, 2004, in Kenner, La. Fresh out of prison for bilking supporters, Duke hosted a weekend gathering of enthusiastic backers eag... Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke speaks to supporters at a reception Saturday, May 29, 2004, in Kenner, La. Fresh out of prison for bilking supporters, Duke hosted a weekend gathering of enthusiastic backers eager to hear him as he lashed out at Jews, blacks, immigrants and the ``Zionist-controlled media.'' (AP Photo/Burt Steel) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former top Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke praised President Donald Trump on Tuesday for his latest remarks regarding the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend, which was organized ostensibly as a protest of the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

Duke, in his praise of Trump, re-posted a video of the President wondering aloud if the removal of monuments to Confederate figures would end up with the removal of monuments dedicated to early American slaveholders, including Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

The video also included Trump saying not everyone at the rally on the side of white supremacists was a neo-Nazi or a white nationalist.

“You had people — and I’m not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, because they should be condemned, totally — but you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and white nationalists, okay?” Trump said in the video re-posted by Duke. “And the press has treated them absolutely unfairly.”

“Now, in the other group also, you had some fine people, but you also had trouble-makers, and you see them come with the black outfits, and with the helmets, and with the baseball bats,” Trump added. “You had a lot of bad people in the other group, too.”

Latest Livewire
61
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for mcbain mcbain says:

    As far as I know, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson didn’t try to violently overthrow the US government in support of slavery.

  2. Avatar for erik_t erik_t says:

    Might as well have elected Pat Buchanan. I didn’t think being a fucking white supremacist was one of Donald Trump’s top ten failings, but here we are.

  3. Avatar for caltg caltg says:

    What a fine “president” we have. He attracts praise from all the “best people.”

    It is time for the Cabinet and Congress to begin a process to remove Trump, either by impeachment or the 25th Amendment, he has got to go. Trump is clearly off the rails and we cannot afford to have him making decisions in a crisis.

  4. I think there’s a place in the Administration - such as it is, and while it lasts - for this fine patriot, Mr. Duke. Perhaps he can take Bannon’s place and turn the racism, bigotry and hate up a few notches.

  5. Avatar for lafe19 lafe19 says:

    Trump should be ecstatic. Obviously his real base loved this speech.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

55 more replies

Participants

Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for mbodlomane Avatar for daveminnj Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for jep07 Avatar for radicalcentrist Avatar for manhattan123 Avatar for labman57 Avatar for mcbain Avatar for benthere Avatar for pshah Avatar for tena Avatar for jinnj Avatar for ernestscribbler Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for caltg Avatar for rickjones Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for qwerty23 Avatar for dannysgrandma Avatar for coprophagoussmile Avatar for clare Avatar for ohcomeonnow Avatar for treeofliberalty

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: