One of Donald Trump’s trademarks this election season has been playing a vigorous game of footsie with racist/white supremacist/anti-semitic groups. Apparently, as a long time Democrat, Donald Trump believes that this is what constitutes the base of the GOP and he was afraid of offending it. If you recall, my colleague, Joe Cunningham, posted on Donald Trump’s refusal to repudiate the pledged support of former Louisian KKK official, David Duke, or of the KKK, itself.
Former Ku Klux Klan wizard David Duke planned to emerge from a 17-year political hiatus here Friday to qualify for the U.S. Senate race in a state already roiling with racial tension.
Duke, a Republican who served one term in the Louisiana House, hasn’t run for office since 1999. He is running to fill the seat that will be vacated by Republican Sen. David Vitter.
“I’m proud to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Duke said in a video. “I believe in equal rights for all and respect for all Americans. However, what makes me different is I also demand respect for the rights and heritage of European Americans.”
Duke’s announcement comes after the shooting death of a black man by white police officers and the killing of three law enforcement officers by a black man. It also came one day after Donald Trump accepted the GOP nomination for president.
Duke said in the video, “I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years. My slogan remains America first.”
We’ve known Duke was running for something. He recently had his voting rights he forfeited as a convicted felon restored. The most likely run seemed to be at the House seat held by Steve Scalise. But now that he lost his bid to be Donald Trump’s vice president, he’s set his gimlet eye on the US Senate.
He is quite a Trump fan:
Great Trump Speech, America First! Stop Wars! Defeat the Corrupt elites! Protect our Borders!, Fair Trade! Couldn’t have said it better!
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) July 22, 2016
I agree. You could take most any one of Donald Trump’s speeches and find significant infusions of good old fashioned racism in it.
And then there is his announcement video.
I’m overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve champion for years my slogan remains America first.
Right now there are 23 candidates on the ballot. Under Louisiana’s “jungle primary” system. All 23 will appear on the November ballot. If no one wins a majority, the top two vote getters will engage in runoff on December 3. And if David Duke is in that race, we need to all insist that Donald Trump go to Louisiana and support the nominee.
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