NBC News: David Duke endorses Jill Stein [View all]

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/live-blog/trump-harris-presidential-election-live-updates-rcna175178#rcrd60274

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke endorsed Green Party nominee Jill Stein over Trump this week, citing their stances on Israel — but Stein's campaign says it wants nothing to do with Duke, the former American Nazi Party member.

Duke, a proudly antisemitic white supremacist, endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020, but on his radio show yesterday, he slammed Trump's "subservience to Israel and to the Jewish lobby" and said only Stein would stand up to Israel and its "genocide" against Palestinians.

"I endorse for president of the United States Green Party candidate, Dr. Jill Stein," Duke said. "Although Dr. Stein and I obviously have our differences on important issues, she’s the only candidate who speaks clearly against the war in the Middle East."

Duke acknowledged that his endorsement of a far-left candidate — who, ironically, is Jewish — would "shock" even his supporters. But he said he put significant thought into "what’s good for white people, Europeans," and said his backing of Stein is "one of the most important statements that I have ever made politically."

Duke suggested that Trump, who has shown steadfast support for Israel, is now a puppet of what he baselessly alleges to be a vast global Jewish conspiracy that he called "the greatest threat to us and to all mankind."

Trump stumbled in 2016 when he seemed reluctant to immediately disown Duke's endorsement.

Stein’s campaign manager, Jason Call, disavowed the endorsement and called Duke "trash."

"We had no idea about this and are very, very not interested in David Duke's endorsement," Call told NBC News.