Former Ku Klux Klan leader congratulates Trump – and thanks Wikileaks

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke
Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke Credit: AP Photo/Max Becherer

David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, has congratulated Donald Trump, describing his victory in the US presidential election as "one of the most exciting nights of my life."

Duke, who unsuccessfully ran for Louisiana Senate, told his Twitter followers: “Make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump!”

In another tweet he said: “Donald J. Trump now has the chance to become one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived - we have the moral high ground, 100%!”

Duke, who founded the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in 1974, also described Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as a “hero”:

Duke had given his backing to Trump late last year, telling listeners to his radio show: “The Jewish knives are coming out on Donald Trump … How come it’s against American values to want to preserve the heritage of the country? We’re overwhelmingly a Christian country and overwhelmingly a European country.”

Ku Klux Klan-supporting newspaper The Crusader offered its support to Trump earlier this month – prompting the release of a campaign statement saying: "Mr. Trump and the campaign denounces hate in any form.

“This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign.”

At the launch of his Senate campaign in July, Duke talked of the "massive racial discrimination going on right now against European Americans," and what he called a biased media working against him. He called the Black Lives Matter movement a "terrorist organisation" and said he wanted equal rights for everyone”.

He also responded angrily when questioned about his involvement with the KKK. He said he was active with the organisation for four years in the mid-1970s, describing it as "four decades ago in a nonviolent group."

 

License this content