Who is David Duke?
David Duke is a white supremacist, Nazi sympathizer, former organizer of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and anti-Semite. He holds staying power in the media and on the Internet as he advocates for what he calls “white rights,” “white separatism,” or “white nationalism.” He believes the US is under the sway of Jewish leaders, that black people and other people of color denigrate the US, and he is famous for his denials of the impact of the Holocaust. In his political career, he made a successful bid for office as a member of the Louisiana State Legislature in 1989, despite protests by other prominent Republicans like former Presidents George Bush senior and Ronald Reagan. In bids for Governor of Louisiana, US Senate and the Presidency, which have been unsuccessful, David Duke did garner a number of votes, particularly from white residents of Louisiana. The number of votes cast for Duke in his political career, which is now defunct, are disturbing to many, especially since Duke is labe
David Duke is one of the most controversial political leaders in the world. His compelling story takes us from his early life and love of the wetlands and forests of south Louisiana to his activism for the rights and heritage of European Americans. It recounts his political victory in the House of Representatives from Louisiana, and his subsequent amazing races for the U.S. Senate and Governorship that won him a landslide of White voters (over 60%) even though he was vastly out spent and attacked relentlessly by a hostile jewish media. • Received his BA in History in 1974 from LSU. • Won the ROTC Outstanding Basic Cadet Award at LSU out of a field of 3,000. Achieved highest rank possible for any basic cadet. • Worked for the U.S. State Department in Laos during the Vietnam War where he instructed anticommunist Laotian military officers. He won the “Most Respected Instructor Award.” Also volunteered on missions with Air America to supply the anticommunist forces. • Awarded a scholarship
From the PBS vault of investigative reports, this Frontline production turns its high-powered scope on the controversial life of one time presidential candidate and member of the House of Representatives David Duke. Correspondent Hodding Carter pulls back the sheet on Duke’s troubled childhood, his Nazi affiliations and the resulting consequences that led him to the very forefront of the race wars as National Director of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. The documentary also covers the later reshaping of his extremist ideologies in a last ditch effort to become a valid Republican candidate for President of the United States.
Correspondent Hodding Carter investigates the life and political career of presidential candidate David Duke-exploring Duke’s troubled childhood, his intellectual journey into the extremist idealogy of the Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, and the effort to reshape his image so he could run as a national fugure in the Republican party.
