David Duke

For other people with the same name, see David Duke (disambiguation).
David Duke
Duke as Grand Wizard, c. 1974
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the 81st district
In office
February 18, 1989 – January 13, 1992
Preceded byChuck Cusimano
Succeeded byDavid Vitter
Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
In office
1974–1980
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byDon Black
Personal details
Born
David Ernest Duke

(1950-07-01) July 1, 1950 (age 74)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (1989–1999, 2016–present)[1]
Other political
affiliations
Spouse
Chloê Hardin
​
​
(m. 1974; div. 1984)​
Children2
EducationLouisiana State University (BA)
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David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is an American politician, neo-Nazi, conspiracy theorist, and former grand wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.[3] From 1989 to 1992, he was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for the Republican Party. His politics and writings are largely devoted to promoting conspiracy theories about Jews, such as Holocaust denial and Jewish control of academia, the press, and the financial system.[4][5] In 2013, the Anti-Defamation League called Duke "perhaps America's most well-known racist and anti-Semite".[6]

Duke unsuccessfully ran as a Democratic candidate for state legislature during the 1970s and 1980s, culminating in his campaign for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination. After failing to gain any traction within the Democratic Party, he gained the presidential nomination of the minor Populist Party. In December 1988, he became a Republican and claimed to have become a born-again Christian, nominally renouncing antisemitism and racism.[7][8] He soon won his only elected office, a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He then ran unsuccessful but competitive campaigns for several more offices, including United States Senate in 1990 and governor of Louisiana in 1991. His campaigns were denounced by national and state Republican leaders, including President George H. W. Bush. He mounted a minor challenge to President Bush in 1992.

By the late 1990s, Duke had abandoned his pretense of rejecting racism and antisemitism, and began to openly promote racist and neo-Nazi viewpoints. He then began to devote himself to writing about his political views, both in newsletters and later on the Internet. In his writings, he denigrates African Americans and other ethnic minorities, and promotes conspiracy theories about a Jewish plot to control America and the world.[9][10][11] He continued to run for public office through 2016, but after his reversion to open neo-Nazism, his candidacies were not competitive.

During the 1990s, Duke defrauded his political supporters by pretending to be in dire financial straits and soliciting money for basic necessities. At the time, he was in fact financially secure and used the money for recreational gambling.[12] In December 2002, Duke pleaded guilty to felony fraud and subsequently served a 15-month sentence at Federal Correctional Institution, Big Spring in Texas.[12][13]

  1. ^ "The Latest: Ex-KKK leader Duke: 'My time has come'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. July 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  2. ^ West, Paul (December 5, 1991). "David Duke takes aim at presidency La. legislator unveils GOP primary bid". Baltimore Sun. Baltimore Sun Media. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Zeffman, Henry (August 3, 2018). "Former KKK wizard David Duke praised Jeremy Corbyn victory". The Times. London. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  5. ^ Barrouquere, Brett (May 17, 2019). "White Shadow: David Duke's Lasting Influence on American White Supremacy". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  6. ^ "David Duke" (PDF). Anti-Defamation League. 2013 [c. 2009]. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Los Angeles Times was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference nytimes.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Duke, David. "An Aryan Vision". My Awakening. SolarGeneral. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
  10. ^ Duke, David (October 23, 2004). "Kayla Rolland: One More Victim". Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
  11. ^ "David Duke: In His Own Words / On Segregation". Anti-Defamation League. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2006.
  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference guilty was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "David Duke Gets 15-Month Sentence for Fraud". Fox News. Associated Press. March 12, 2003. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018.