It was the Dukes!
Posted on 02/28/2016 7:22:08 AM PST by SeekAndFind
CNN anchor Jake Tapper repeatedly asked Donald Trump on Sunday to denounce David Duke's support for his candidacy, but Trump insisted he didn't know anything about about the former KKK grand wizard.
"Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you don't want his vote and that of other white supremacists in this election?" Tapper asked Trump on "State of the Union."
But Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, said he didn't have enough information to answer the question:
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 mean, I don't know — did he endorse me or what's going on? Because 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.
BuzzFeed reported last week that Duke, a prominent white nationalist, urged his supporters to back Trump. Duke was quoted saying on his radio show that "voting against Donald Trump at this point is really treason to your heritage."
On his Sunday show, Tapper continued to press Trump on the subject.
"Even if you don't know about their endorsement, there are these groups and individuals endorsing you. Would you just say unequivocally that you condemn them and you don't want their support?" he asked Trump.
But Trump again insisted again he didn't know about Duke:
I have to look at the group. I mean, I don't know what group you're talking about. You wouldn't want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I have to look. If you would send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
No, Trump did exactly the wrong thing. What someone of good sense would say is “I completely reject any connection whatsoever with David Duke,” and end it there.
Well, first if all, I have nothing to do with “establishment Republicans”... and if you don’t think the dems and the media have been holding fire on Trump, you’re sadly mistaken. Trump’s past is one of the most target-rich environments of the modern age, and the darkside will exploit it like none before.
Would you sleep better at night if he did ? If so, why ?
Wow. I have heard about this. Is this AstroTurfing? There are so many new FReepers and I don’t stop by as much so I just assumed the Trumpers were FReepers
It has nothing to do with “sleeping better at night.” When the dems control the narrative on this one, you’ll then understand why Trump should’ve taken the opportunity to put it to rest immediately and make it a non-issue.
Trump just should have said that Duke is an idiot and move on.
Playing on their terms won’t do him any favors ... you simply don’t understand how to play the game or you are wanting Trump to walk into the trap ..I suspect the latter ...
“Playing on their terms won’t do him any favors ... you simply don’t understand how to play the game or you are wanting Trump to walk into the trap ..I suspect the latter ...”
Wrong .. again.
You didn’t read a single word, did you? This is basic message management. A good media trainer would instruct him to get that piece of bad news out in the open and deal with it quickly... and if you don’t acknowledge an endorsement by David Duke is most assuredly bad news, then there’s much you don’t understand. Negative info isn’t like wine; you can’t stow it away and expect it to get better with age.
Remember how the dems and media made attacked Mitt Romney when Trump’s friend Harry Reid falsely in 2012 accused Romney of tax fraud (which BTW Trump said was “beautiful”)? Notice they waited until Romney was nominated before they opened fire on him? Do you think for one second they aren’t mining Trump’s background and previous statements to use against him as well? Why Trump wouldn’t at least simply cast Duke aside defies logic.
It’s OK for the Black Panthers to endorse and kiss up to that Satan in the WH.....Too bad!!!!!
So Trump had to be updated by one of his trusted advisors when Trump was against and certainly knew who David Duke was by name and that the KKK was a white supremacy hate group in 2000 when he was contemplating running on the Reform Party ticket and had no problem disavowing them then, before he claimed he didn't know who Duke was or anything about White Supremacist groups just yesterday with Trapper, before he sort of disavowed Duke on Friday and then later on Sunday after the Trapper interview? Why couldn't have Trump just repeated what he said on Friday or in 2000?
He changed his opinion on Duke? He never had an opinion with Tapper. He had no information or didn't remember, so he didn't have an opinion. Then after he was updated, he made a statement that was an opinion. That's called being cautious with scheming lying media who lie every day and scheme to trip him up.
"Just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, OK?" Trump said."
"I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists," he said. "So I don't know. I don't know -- did he endorse me, or what's going on? Because I know nothing about David Duke; I know nothing about white supremacists."
"I have to look at the group. I mean, I don't know what group you're talking about," Trump said. "You wouldn't want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I'd have to look. If you would send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them and certainly I would disavow if I thought there was something wrong. You may have groups in there that are totally fine -- it would be very unfair. So give me a list of the groups and I'll let you know."
Tapper responded: "OK. I'm just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here, but --"
And Trump said: "Honestly, I don't know David Duke. I don't believe I've ever met him. I'm pretty sure I didn't meet him. And I just don't know anything about him."
So Trump disavowed Duke on Friday and in 2000 but on Sunday claimed he didn't even know who he was?
Trump in 2000: "The Reform Party now includes a Klansman, Mr. Duke, a neo-Nazi, Mr. Buchanan, and a communist, Ms. Fulani," he said in his statement. "This is not company I wish to keep." In a separate interview that year with Matt Lauer, Trump said of Duke, "Well, you've got David Duke just joined-a bigot, a racist, a problem. I mean, this is not exactly the people you want in your party."
A good media trainer would’ve instructed Trump to give this response (or something similar) re Duke: “I reject any endorsement by or association with David Duke in any capacity.” And that’d be it. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and the darkside will be rolling this out on the first Wednesday in November.
Do you genuinely believe that Trump does not know who Duke is?
The specific part Trump “refused to condemn” was when Trapper said “groups or individuals”. Trump said he didn’t know what groups Trapper was talking about and asked for specifics.
How is that refusing to condemn the KKK? The media calls a lot of conservatve groups racist that aren’t, should Trump have just condemned them all?
This whole thing is desperate bullshit
It's a cynical smear job.
Sad to say but the “poisoning” of the voter pool really works here on FR. It is pretty easy to spot them and they are effective getting conservative voters all riled up. I know it gets my panties in a wad sometimes. Need to start looking for cooking and BBQ threads.
I concur. The MSM in their desperation continue to make themselves look foolish & push Trump up every time they try this crap lol.
> “So Trump had to be updated by one of his trusted advisors when Trump was against and certainly knew who David Duke was by name”
You don’t know that. Now get lost.
Oh wow! Trump hasn’t spent his whole life memorizing all these names and things. He’s not insider enough to run for president.
I want someone with more insider memory skills to run. Gee of gee. I’m so embarassed to have ever supported him. He spent too much time as a businessman and not enough time being ambitious about politics.
“Even if you don’t know about their endorsement, there are these groups and individuals endorsing you. Would you just say unequivocally that you condemn them and you don’t want their support?” he asked Trump.
“I have to look at the group. I mean, I don’t know what group you’re talking about. You wouldn’t want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I have to look. If you would send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them. And certainly I would disavow if I thought there was something wrong.”
What groups is Tapper talking about here? Trumps answer seems to be a pretty reasonable answer but haters gonna hate.
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