Following Donald Trump’s refusal to disavow former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke’s support, days after initially disavowing, Trump is now claiming he couldn’t hear CNN host Jake Tapper.
Trump was asked about his comments to Tapper. Today Show host Savannah Guthrie noted that Trump had previously disavowed Duke, and asked, “why are you pretending that you are acting as though you don’t know who this person is, why not disavow David Duke, disavow the KKK?”
Trump emphasized that Tapper said “David Duke and other groups.” Trump also returned to disavowing Duke.
Guthrie followed up, noting that Trump told Tapper he doesn’t know who David Duke is three times.
Trump replied, “I know who he is, but I never met David Duke, so when you talk about it, I never met David Duke.”
He later added that he already disavowed Duke, and “I’m saying to myself, how many times do I have to continue to disavow?” However, it is commonplace for every candidate to be asked any question more than once.
Guthrie narrowed her question to the point, noting that Tapper said, “‘I’m just talking about David Duke and the Klu Klux Klan here.’ You said, ‘honestly, I don’t know David Duke.'”
Then Trump changed the reason he didn’t disavow Duke. He couldn’t hear.
“So let me tell you, I’m sitting in a house in Florida with a very bad ear piece that they gave me. You can hardly hear what he was saying. What I heard was ‘various groups’. I don’t mind disavowing anybody. And I disavowed David Duke and disavowed him the day before at a major news conference, which is surprising because he was at the major news conference. CNN was at the major news conference, and they heard me easily disavow David Duke. Now I go and I sit down again, and I have a lousy ear piece provided by them. Frankly, he talked about groups. I have no problem with disavowing groups, but I’d at least like to know who they are.”
You can watch the exchange below.
Trump’s claim is baffling. You can see his exchange with Tapper on Sunday here, for yourself.
Trump used the words “David Duke” multiple times in the exchange. Trump also knew who Duke was in 2000, when he said, “The Reform Party now includes a Klansman, Mr. Duke, a neo-Nazi, Mr. Buchanan, and a communist, Ms. Fulani.” Following Trump’s exchange with Tapper yesterday, Duke himself even said, Trump “knows who I am.”
Tapper asked Trump, “Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say you don’t want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?”
In his response, Trump pretended he didn’t “know anything about David Duke,” or “what you’re even talking about with ‘white supremacy’ or ‘white supremacist.'”
When asked about other white supremacist groups, Trump requested a list of them.
Tapper later clarified, “I’m just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here.”
Trump ignored the KKK part, and 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.”
It sounded like Trump heard everything clearly, or at the very least well enough.
