Darryl PaulsonIn a recent interview with Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Donald Trump was asked if he would disavow David Duke, the KKK and other white supremacist groups. The week before, former Klansman and white supremacist Duke urged his supporters to back Trump, saying that voting for anyone but Trump “is really treason to your heritage.”
Trump’s response to Tapper was to claim ignorance. “I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.”
Trump said he did not know about Duke, but in a February 2000 op-ed in the New York Times, Trump said that he left the Republican Party because of ties to “David Duke, Pat Buchanan and Lenora Fulani. That is not company I wish to keep.”
It is strange for Trump to use Duke as a reason for leaving the Republican Party, but he doesn’t remember his own op-ed.
I used to do political humor and my opening joke was about my “politically correct” suit coat. I told the audience I had the Republican campaign buttons on my right side, the Democratic buttons on my left side and I had my David Duke button under my armpit. I used to have my Duke button on the seat of my pants, “but you can imagine what a pain in the ass David Duke can be.” The audience roared. They knew David Duke.
The correct spelling of Duke is D-U-K-K-K-E. If my audience knew Duke, why doesn’t Donald Trump know Duke? It’s not like Duke is new to the political scene. He has been associated with the Klan and white supremacist groups for four decades. He has been on hundreds of television and radio programs, as well as hundreds of news and political magazines.
Duke joined the KKK in 1970 while a student at Louisiana State University. The following year he received national attention when he wore a Nazi uniform to protest the appearance of radical attorney William Kunstler at Tulane University.
Duke has run for president four times under the banner of four different political parties. He has run as a Republican, Democrat, Populist and Reform Party candidate. He ran unsuccessfully for the Louisiana State Senate, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Duke’s name has been a constant presence in American elections.
Duke was involved in two high-profile races. In 1990, Duke was the only Republican running for the United States Senate from Louisiana against three Democrats, including incumbent Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.
Duke referred to Johnston as J. Benedict Johnston, Jr. The Republican Party withdrew all support from Duke, but he still attracted 43.5 percent of the vote.
The following year Duke ran for the governorship of Louisiana against flamboyant former Gov. Edwin Edwards. Edwards, best known for corruption and chasing women, told voters he could not lose the election unless he “was caught in bed with a live boy or a dead woman.” Edwards’ campaign slogan was “Vote for the crook. It’s important.”
Although Duke forced a run-off, he lost to Edwards, 61.2 to 38.8 percent.
Given the constant presence of Duke in American politics over the past four decades, how could Trump not be aware of Duke and what he represents. Even if he was unaware of Duke, why would Trump not immediately disassociate himself with anyone tied to the Klan and white supremacy groups?
All of the other presidential candidates knew who Duke is and what he represents. Perhaps, we are finding out what Donald Trump stands for, and it’s scary.
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Darryl Paulson is Professor Emeritus of Government at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and resides in Palm Harbor, Florida. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
