SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A woman wears a Donald Trump campaign hat that she has altered while speaking to a member of the Britain First security team during a protest titled 'London march against terrorism' organized by far-right groups English Defence League and Britain First. (Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
Former KKK Leader David Duke Says 'Thank God for Trump' After President Shares Anti-Muslim Tweets From UK
"Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours."
Nov 29, 2017
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke on Wednesday gave President Donald Trump effusive praise for retweeting three videos from the deputy leader of a far-right, anti-Islam British party.
The tweets came from an account linked to Britain First's Jayda Fransen, who was found guilty last year of religiously aggravated harassment for verbally abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab during a so-called "Christian patrol," and was arrested earlier this month for a speech she gave in Belfast.
The videos Trump retweeted from her account were captioned by Fransen "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!"; "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!"; and "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!"
The Independent reports that the
content of the videos or their origin could not be independently verified, but local reports said the first showed the 2013 murder of a teenager who was himself likely to be a Muslim during riots over the coup against Mohamed Morsi.
The attacker in the video from the Netherlands was neither a Muslim nor a migrant, according to local media, and was arrested over the incident."
"Trump is promoting hatred of Muslims. That's what those retweets were about."Hours after the Muslim ban-promoting U.S. president retweeted the unverified videos, Duke issued a series of tweets cheering him for having shared them, saying "Thank God for Trump!"; "This is why WE LOVE TRUMP"; and "Trump is right!"
Spencer Ackerman, national security reporter for the Daily Beast, reacted to Trump's sharing of the videos, tweeting: "Trump is promoting hatred of Muslims. That's what those retweets were about. That is the content and the purpose of the tweets."
According to British Labour MP David Lammy, "Trump has truly gone beyond the pale today" by "promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group." Lammy added that the president is "not welcome in my country and my city."
U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, called on his government to "condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous, and a threat to our society."
In a rare condemnation of the U.S. president, a spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, a Conservative, said in a statement, "It was wrong for [Trump] to have done this."
The widower of British Labour Party MP Jo Cox, who was murdered last year by a man who reportedly shouted "Britain first," weighed in on the development as well.
Brendan Cox tweeted: "Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours."
Trump's retweets were also noted by U.S. lawmakers.
Rep Keith Ellison tweeted: "As @realDonaldTrump flirts w/ shutdown, he has time to promote anti-Muslim hate videos posted by U.K.'s far-right."
Speaking on the House floor, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said, "anyone who incites hate ought to be ... removed from a position such that they can harm society."
"When hate emanates from the highest office in the land ... when hate emanates from the presidency, the solution is impeachment," adding, "Impeachment will be voted on before Christmas."
According to Esquire's Jack Holmes, Trump "seems to have retweeted his way down a new, incredibly dark path."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke on Wednesday gave President Donald Trump effusive praise for retweeting three videos from the deputy leader of a far-right, anti-Islam British party.
The tweets came from an account linked to Britain First's Jayda Fransen, who was found guilty last year of religiously aggravated harassment for verbally abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab during a so-called "Christian patrol," and was arrested earlier this month for a speech she gave in Belfast.
The videos Trump retweeted from her account were captioned by Fransen "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!"; "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!"; and "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!"
The Independent reports that the
content of the videos or their origin could not be independently verified, but local reports said the first showed the 2013 murder of a teenager who was himself likely to be a Muslim during riots over the coup against Mohamed Morsi.
The attacker in the video from the Netherlands was neither a Muslim nor a migrant, according to local media, and was arrested over the incident."
"Trump is promoting hatred of Muslims. That's what those retweets were about."Hours after the Muslim ban-promoting U.S. president retweeted the unverified videos, Duke issued a series of tweets cheering him for having shared them, saying "Thank God for Trump!"; "This is why WE LOVE TRUMP"; and "Trump is right!"
Spencer Ackerman, national security reporter for the Daily Beast, reacted to Trump's sharing of the videos, tweeting: "Trump is promoting hatred of Muslims. That's what those retweets were about. That is the content and the purpose of the tweets."
According to British Labour MP David Lammy, "Trump has truly gone beyond the pale today" by "promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group." Lammy added that the president is "not welcome in my country and my city."
U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, called on his government to "condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous, and a threat to our society."
In a rare condemnation of the U.S. president, a spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, a Conservative, said in a statement, "It was wrong for [Trump] to have done this."
The widower of British Labour Party MP Jo Cox, who was murdered last year by a man who reportedly shouted "Britain first," weighed in on the development as well.
Brendan Cox tweeted: "Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours."
Trump's retweets were also noted by U.S. lawmakers.
Rep Keith Ellison tweeted: "As @realDonaldTrump flirts w/ shutdown, he has time to promote anti-Muslim hate videos posted by U.K.'s far-right."
Speaking on the House floor, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said, "anyone who incites hate ought to be ... removed from a position such that they can harm society."
"When hate emanates from the highest office in the land ... when hate emanates from the presidency, the solution is impeachment," adding, "Impeachment will be voted on before Christmas."
According to Esquire's Jack Holmes, Trump "seems to have retweeted his way down a new, incredibly dark path."
Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke on Wednesday gave President Donald Trump effusive praise for retweeting three videos from the deputy leader of a far-right, anti-Islam British party.
The tweets came from an account linked to Britain First's Jayda Fransen, who was found guilty last year of religiously aggravated harassment for verbally abusing a Muslim woman wearing a hijab during a so-called "Christian patrol," and was arrested earlier this month for a speech she gave in Belfast.
The videos Trump retweeted from her account were captioned by Fransen "Muslim migrant beats up Dutch boy on crutches!"; "Muslim Destroys a Statue of Virgin Mary!"; and "Islamist mob pushes teenage boy off roof and beats him to death!"
The Independent reports that the
content of the videos or their origin could not be independently verified, but local reports said the first showed the 2013 murder of a teenager who was himself likely to be a Muslim during riots over the coup against Mohamed Morsi.
The attacker in the video from the Netherlands was neither a Muslim nor a migrant, according to local media, and was arrested over the incident."
"Trump is promoting hatred of Muslims. That's what those retweets were about."Hours after the Muslim ban-promoting U.S. president retweeted the unverified videos, Duke issued a series of tweets cheering him for having shared them, saying "Thank God for Trump!"; "This is why WE LOVE TRUMP"; and "Trump is right!"
Spencer Ackerman, national security reporter for the Daily Beast, reacted to Trump's sharing of the videos, tweeting: "Trump is promoting hatred of Muslims. That's what those retweets were about. That is the content and the purpose of the tweets."
According to British Labour MP David Lammy, "Trump has truly gone beyond the pale today" by "promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group." Lammy added that the president is "not welcome in my country and my city."
U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, called on his government to "condemn far-right retweets by Donald Trump. They are abhorrent, dangerous, and a threat to our society."
In a rare condemnation of the U.S. president, a spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, a Conservative, said in a statement, "It was wrong for [Trump] to have done this."
The widower of British Labour Party MP Jo Cox, who was murdered last year by a man who reportedly shouted "Britain first," weighed in on the development as well.
Brendan Cox tweeted: "Trump has legitimized the far right in his own country, now he's trying to do it in ours."
Trump's retweets were also noted by U.S. lawmakers.
Rep Keith Ellison tweeted: "As @realDonaldTrump flirts w/ shutdown, he has time to promote anti-Muslim hate videos posted by U.K.'s far-right."
Speaking on the House floor, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said, "anyone who incites hate ought to be ... removed from a position such that they can harm society."
"When hate emanates from the highest office in the land ... when hate emanates from the presidency, the solution is impeachment," adding, "Impeachment will be voted on before Christmas."
According to Esquire's Jack Holmes, Trump "seems to have retweeted his way down a new, incredibly dark path."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy