UPDATE: 1:45 p.m. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump refused to condemn prominent white nationalist David Duke on Sunday or distance himself from the support the former Ku Klux Klan leader gave last week.
CNN “State of the Union” host Jake Tapper asked Trump if he would “unequivocally condemn David Duke and say you don’t want his support.”
Trump dodged the question.
“I don’t know anything about David Duke,” he said. “I don’t know what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacist. I don’t know. I don’t know, did he endorse me, or what’s going on? Because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you’re asking me a question that I’m supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about.”
Tapper pushed back. Trump suggested Tapper send him a list of “the groups” and he could research them. At which point, Trump said he would “disavow if I thought there was something wrong.”
“The Ku Klux Klan?” Tapper asked.
“It would be very unfair,” Trump continued talking over Tapper. “So give me a list of the groups and I’ll let you know.”
“I’m just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here,” Tapper said.
“Honestly, I don’t know David Duke,” Trump said. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met him, I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet him, and I just don’t know anything about him.”
Trump had a harder stance when asked about it at a rally on Friday. He reportedly said about the endorsement, “I disavow.” Trump tweeted about the exchange Sunday afternoon:
As I stated at the press conference on Friday regarding David Duke- I disavow. pic.twitter.com/OIXFKPUlz2
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016
No snark for this one, just outraged disgust. This is an astonishing new low for this country’s politics. It’s the equivalent, in protected speech, of shooting someone on Fifth Avenue. Just unbelievable.
So why would he disavow support from a key constituency? (Particularly if he’s counting on his racist constituency to help him defeat Clinton and her massive support among “those people”?)
Those guys standing over there in hooded white sheets holding a rally for me?
Don’t think I know who they are or anything about them. Send me their resumes and life stories and I’ll check them out.
When did not knowing something ever stop Donald Trump from expressing an opinion?
Coddling the KKK is not Presidential, Donny boy. This is Trump’s Achilles heel, and my hope is that Hillary stomps on it early and often and crushes the Racist who would be POTUS.
Historically high (2008 levels) turnout of African Americans in SC Dem primary. Jan Brewer in AZ just endorsed Trump. Trump refuses to repudiate Duke.
He is going to be the nominee and he is going to get beaten like a gong. Either Bernie or Hillary could take him apart: on social media, the debate platform, TV.
The GOP is over as a major presidential party until at least 2020, more likely 2024.
Well-played, Mitch. Well…played.