Huckabee Insists Trump Isn’t Racist As Megyn Kelly Grills Him On KKK Remarks

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Monday night continued to dismiss Donald Trump’s Sunday interview during which he avoided disavowing former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, suggesting that there may be some truth to Trump’s claim that his earpiece wasn’t working well.

During an interview on Fox News, Huckabee told Megyn Kelly that Trump “has repeatedly disavowed David Duke” and the KKK. When Kelly pressed him on when Trump disavowed them, Huckabee pointed to Trump’s comments at a Friday rally and on social media.

“I just don’t think that Donald Trump has given any indication that he’s supportive of the Ku Klux Klan,” Huckabee said.

“Not except in that interview, is what his critics say,” Kelly hit back. “It was so strange that he would say on Friday, ‘I disavow David Duke.’ And then when specifically asked on Sunday, acted like he didn’t know who David Duke was.”

“I don’t think anybody seriously is suggesting that he is giving a wink and a nod at the KKK,” he said. “They’re a deplorable, disgusting, abominable entity.”

“But the very point you’re making, that it’s such a no-brainer, is what makes his response to Jake Tapper so confusing to many,” Kelly responded.

Huckabee then brought up Trump’s “lousy earpiece.”

“That’s why I have to wonder, what did he hear? Did he misunderstand it?” Huckabee asked.

Kelly did not accept that answer, telling Huckabee that Trump “repeated back ‘David Duke’ and ‘white supremacists'” during the interview.

Huckabee also dismissed Trump’s comments in a Monday morning interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” When asked about Trump refusing to distance himself from Duke on Sunday, Huckabee balked and instead brought up the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV).

“Look, I know it’s an incredible overwhelming fascination — I’ve been watching this morning. But, look, let me ask you this, do you think Hillary Clinton is going to have to answer for her relationship with Sen. Robert Byrd who was an actual member of the KKK?” Huckabee asked.

Watch the interview via Fox News:

Latest Livewire
37
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Kelly: Is Trump a racist?

    Huckabuck; No, not by my standards.

  2. “That’s why I have to wonder, what did he hear? Did he misunderstand it?” Huckabee asked.


    CNN anchor Jake Tapper repeatedly asked Donald Trump on Sunday to denounce David Duke’s support for his candidacy, but Trump insisted he didn’t know anything about the former KKK grand wizard.

    “Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you don’t want his vote and that of other white supremacists in this election?” Tapper asked Trump on “State of the Union.”

    “Even if you don’t know about their endorsement, there are these groups and individuals endorsing you. Would you just say unequivocally that you condemn them and you don’t want their support?” he asked Trump.

    But Trump again insisted again he didn’t know about Duke:

    I have to look at the group. I mean, I don’t know what group you’re talking about. You wouldn’t want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I 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.

    “The Ku Klux Klan?” Tapper interjected.

    Trump continued his answer without addressing the KKK.

    “You may have groups in there that are totally fine and it would be very unfair. So give me a list of the groups, and I’ll let you know,” he told Tapper.

    Tapper seemed somewhat perplexed.

    “OK, I mean, I’m just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here, but …” he said, trailing off and inviting Trump to comment.

    "Honestly, I don’t know David Duke. I don’t believe I’ve ever met him. I’m pretty sure I’ve didn’t meet him. And I just don’t know anything about him," Trump said.

    That last part is of course a lie.

  3. “Not except in that interview**, is what his critics say**,” Kelly hit back. “It was so strange that he would say on Friday, ‘I disavow David Duke.’ And then when specifically asked on Sunday, acted like he didn’t know who David Duke was.”

    Journalism is Kelly’s profession when she doesn’t want to call out her human friend for the obvious bullshit he’s spewing. Sorry, but Megyn Kelly wasn’t trying to get to the truth here. She and Huckster are close–she’s made that clear ever since he was employed at FOX Entertainment.

    Trump must have promised Huckabee he’d consider making it mandatory for school districts who receive federal funding to use one or more of Huck’s “educational history” books he writes for little children–you know, the ones where he brings up the evangelical Christian god throughout the book.

  4. When asked about Trump refusing to distance himself from Duke on Sunday, Huckabee balked and instead brought up the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV).

    “Look, I know it’s an incredible overwhelming fascination — I’ve been watching this morning. But, look, let me ask you this, do you think Hillary Clinton is going to have to answer for her relationship with Sen. Robert Byrd who was an actual member of the KKK?” Huckabee asked.


    In 1997, Byrd told an interviewer he would encourage young people to become involved in politics but also warned, “Be sure you avoid the Ku Klux Klan. Don’t get that albatross around your neck. Once you’ve made that mistake, you inhibit your operations in the political arena.” In his last autobiography, Byrd explained that he was a KKK member because he “was sorely afflicted with tunnel vision — a jejune and immature outlook — seeing only what I wanted to see because I thought the Klan could provide an outlet for my talents and ambitions.” Byrd also said, in 2005, "I know now I was wrong. Intolerance had no place in America. I apologized a thousand times … and I don’t mind apologizing over and over again. I can’t erase what happened.

  5. Huckabee: Drumpf is not racist. He is on the record saying that he loves The Blacks. I also conjecture that he has few non-White friends as he is from the immoral NYC. He is smart enough to know rapists and terrorists invading this country.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

31 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for josephebacon Avatar for estamm Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for sysprog Avatar for pokeyoakey Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for liberaljesus Avatar for leftflank Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for wwss Avatar for inversion Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for maxaroo Avatar for dickweed Avatar for jcblues Avatar for bd2999 Avatar for dnl Avatar for wagonmound Avatar for beattycat Avatar for psychobroad Avatar for scuttlebut Avatar for jalus Avatar for progressivebroad

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: