Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke appeared at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., prior to Saturday’s violent clashes, saying that the event represented fulfilling the promises of President Trump.
“This represents a turning point for the people of this country. We are determined to take our country back, we’re going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump, and that’s what we believed in, that’s why we voted for Donald Trump, because he said he’s going to take our country back and that’s what we gotta do,” Duke said.
The former KKK grand wizard’s comments came as the proteseors and counter-protesters at the racially charged event, which attracted white supremacists and neo-Nazis, clashed violently.
{mosads}Duke endorsed Trump during the 2016 presidential election.
Trump disavowed the white supremacist after dodging questions about the endorsement in earlier interviews.
The president condemned the violence in Charlottesville hours after the white nationalist gathering began in a tweet.
Duke responded to Trump’s tweet on Saturday, appearing to put pressure on Trump.
“I would recommend you take a good look in the mirror & remember it was White Americans who put you in the presidency, not radical leftists,” Duke tweeted, referring to Trump’s base.
Trump condemned the violence again without specifically calling out white nationalist groups during a press conference later Saturday afternoon.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides — on many sides,” Trump said at a press conference that was meant to highlight accomplishments by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs during his administrations.
“It’s been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. This has been going on for a long, long time,” he continued.