Donald Trump refuses to denounce the Ku Klux Klan. Repeatedly.
Donald Trump got an easy question from CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday: would he condemn David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists who are endorsing his candidacy?
Normally, the answer to that kind of question should be a layup so simple that the worst player in NBA history could hit it if you blindfolded him and chopped one leg off. The answer you give is, “Yes.”
Here is what Donald Trump said:
“Well just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke, OK? I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, did he endorse me? Or what’s going on? Because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke, I know nothing about white supremacists, and so you’re asking me a question that I’m supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about.”
Tapper tried a few more times and got the same result. “You’re asking me to denounce a group I know nothing about,” Trump repeated.
Of course, evidence soon popped up that Trump knew exactly who he was talking about.
https://twitter.com/jgreendc/status/703955984885161985
In fairness to Trump, if the Klan was supporting you, wouldn’t you want to pretend you’d never heard of them? He later clarified that he had only recently disavowed Duke’s support—albeit in the most cursory way possible—but still.
Watch: