McConnell Condemns David Duke And KKK On Behalf Of Senate GOP

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2015 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Democrats seem certain to block Republican legislation banning most late-term abortio... FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2015 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Democrats seem certain to block Republican legislation banning most late-term abortions in a Senate showdown with plenty of political significance but little suspense. I'm asking colleagues to open their hearts and help defend the defenseless," McConnell said Monday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

With Donald Trump roiling Republican politics, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) felt the need on Tuesday to “condemn” David Duke, the KKK, and racism on behalf of Senate Republicans.

McConnell made the comments to reporters on Capitol Hill after Trump’s Sunday interview in which he avoided disavowing Duke.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) also denounced the KKK in a press conference on Tuesday and criticized Trump for not clearly distancing himself from Duke.

“If a person wants to be a nominee of the Republican Party there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject any group or cause that is built on bigotry,” he said. “The Republican Party does not prey on people’s prejudices.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for jinnj jinnj says:

    So will Tucker Carlson & Laura Ingraham be calling him out as the Left-wing bleeding heart Liberal Mitch McConnell ? … a hand wringing politically correct sissy?

  2. Avatar for cola cola says:

    After years of dog whistling? Do you seriously expect anyone to believe you are sincere?
    Just b/c you no longer have control of the racists you have raised, fed and groomed in your party…
    How will you and your fellow Congresspeople deal w/ the race baiters in Republican media?

  3. Sorry McTurtle. Coming from a man that has spent the last almost 7+ years trying to delegitimize the first Black President of the United States, just doesn’t fit with his newly discovered sentiments. They may hate tRump to be their standard bearer now, but McTurtle’s hypocrisy is just too obvious for all to see. He and the KKK have a lot more in common with each other than he cares to admit.

    The Republican party, the RNC and Faux News…you definitely built that. I hope it all comes crashing down at some point and crushes you like a bug in the end. Remember…tRump is what you call malleable. Good luck with that, asshole.

  4. Poor turtle. Sees power slipping away from his grip.

  5. While he was at it, did McConnell condemn Ronald Reagan opening his 1980 campaign in a nod to violent segregationists by kicking it off in Philadelphia, Miss.?

    Did he condemn George H.W. Bush’s Willie Horton ad? Did he condemn his pal Jesse Helms racist “Hands” ad against Harvey Gantt? Did he condemn Voter ID laws, foot-dragging on a renewal for the Voting Rights Act, or bigotry agains gay people?

    Did he condemn the way his party has played footsie with racists to delegitimize a twice-elected black president with coded language … that he’s Muslim … or a Kenyan? Did he condemn withholding constitutional authority from the first black president by refusing for the first time in the republic’s history to acknowledge his right to nominate a Supreme Court justice?

    I guess not.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

32 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ignatius_donnelly Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for caterpillar Avatar for milwaukeekent Avatar for sysprog Avatar for vonq Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for sniffit Avatar for splunge Avatar for whiteb Avatar for johnscotus Avatar for tomanjeri Avatar for apt604 Avatar for riverstreet Avatar for stiggy Avatar for zlohcuc Avatar for pshah Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for jinnj Avatar for maric771 Avatar for jinmichigan Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for cola

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: