Donald Trump said Monday that his recent refusal to condemn the endorsement of his presidential campaign by former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke was the result of audio troubles.
On Sunday, Trump was asked during an interview with CNN whether he would “unequivocally condemn” David Duke and the KKK. The Republican presidential hopeful drew heavy criticism for responding, “I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists,” and didn’t disavow Duke’s endorsement.
Now, the billionaire says he was experiencing audio troubles and would have condemned the endorsement had CNN’s Jake Tapper been clearer during the interview.
“I could hardly hear what he was saying,” Trump said of Tapper during a phone interview Monday on NBC’s “Today” show. “I’m sitting in a house in Florida with a very bad ear piece that they gave me.”
“What I heard was disavow groups and I don’t mind disavowing anybody and I disavowed David Duke and I disavowed him a day before,” he added, claiming that CNN had asked him 24 hours prior to disavow the endorsement during a press conference.
“Now I go and I sit down again, I have a lousy ear piece that was provided by them,” Trump said. “And frankly, [Tapper] talked about groups … and I have no idea which groups.”
Trump also pointed to his Facebook page where he posted a video of him condemning Duke’s endorsement during the previously mentioned press conference.
“I didn’t even know he endorsed me. David Duke endorsed me? OK. I disavow it, OK?” he told reporters at the time.
