Politics

Trump In 2000: David Duke Is ‘A Bigot, A Racist, A Problem’ [VIDEO]

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Amber Athey Podcast Columnist
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President Donald Trump’s decision not to explicitly denounce the white supremacists in Charlottesville on Saturday stands in stark contrast to a 2000 statement calling ex-KKK leader David Duke a “racist” and “bigot.”

After violence broke out at the “Unite The Right” rally led by white supremacists and neo-Nazis, many criticized the president for not explicitly denouncing those people in his statement on the tragic events. Rather, Trump chose to mention the violence “on many sides.”

The White House released an additional statement after the backlash asserting that the president’s initial statement “of course…includes white Supremacists, KKK, neo-nazi and all extremist groups.”

Interestingly, Trump had no problem denouncing ex-KKK leader David Duke during a 2000 interview with NBC.

“Well you’ve got David Duke just joined,” Trump said, explaining why he wouldn’t run for president under the Reform Party. “A bigot, a racist, a problem. I mean this is not exactly the people you want in your party.”

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