Who is David Duke? Former KKK leader slams Donald Trump, endorses Jill Stein for president

David Duke in an interview with ABC news (Image via Youtube / ABCNews)
David Duke in an interview with ABC news (Image via Youtube / ABCNews)

David Duke, the former leader of the notorious Ku Klux Klan (KKK), has made headlines once again with his surprising endorsement of Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein on his radio talk show.

David Duke, who was a strong supporter of Donald Trump, surprised many by withdrawing his support for the former president. Instead, he endorsed Jill Stein, an unlikely move given Stein's far-left stance, contrasting sharply with Duke's far-right ideology.

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David Duke criticized Donald Trump, claiming he betrayed the white nationalist movement by catering to the political establishment instead of delivering on his anti-immigration and nationalist promises from the 2016 campaign.

Duke argued that Trump’s failure to stick to these values pushed him to support another candidate, even though Jill Stein’s progressive views on issues like the environment and social justice are very different from his own.

In a statement on his radio show, David Duke said that the reason why Trump lost his support was due to a:

“Full-throated subservience to Israel and to the Jewish lobby in the United States... and on a global level.”

Jill Stein has rejected David Duke's endorsement with strong disdain on her X account. She called him a 'racist troll' and made it clear that she wanted no association with Duke. She posted:

This strong statement can be due to Duke's historical alignment with far-right ideologies, while Stein represents a leftist political movement. Support from someone like Duke can create confusion about his motives and could alienate her base.


Who is David Duke?

American nationalist, white supremacist, and former politician David Duke is well-known for his membership in the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other far-right groups. He was the 'Grand Wizard' (leader) of the Klan during the 1970s and went on to run for governor of Louisiana and the U.S. Senate, among other political positions.

Due to his advocacy of racist and anti-Semitic ideas and his attempts to legitimate white nationalist ideology in the political sphere, Duke has been a contentious figure. Although his relevance has reduced in recent years, he continues to be a topic of conversation when it comes to extremism and hate groups in the US.

This isn’t the first instance of Duke endorsing or complimenting a Democrat based on their criticisms of Jews or Israel. In 2019, he expressed support for Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar during the backlash over her tweets, which were deemed antisemitic, for which she later apologized.

Before that, he endorsed Tulsi Gabbard, a then-Democratic presidential candidate, claiming she would 'prioritize America over Israel!' The term 'America First' has historical roots in an antisemitic movement from World War II and was later adopted by Trump in 2016.

Gabbard has since left the Democratic Party and endorsed Trump this year.

During the broadcast of his radio talk show, David Duke also criticized Trump for his 'unconditional allegiance to Israel and the Jewish lobby in the U.S.' He accused Trump, whom he previously endorsed in 2016 and 2020, of promoting 'Jewish extremism and mass murder' through his platform.

Duke further claimed that Jewish supremacy on a global scale is responsible for genocides, wars, and the degradation of our economy, morals, and society, posing the greatest threat to both us and humanity as a whole.

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Edited by Abhimanyu Sharma