Priebus: ‘No place in the Republican Party’ for David Duke

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus said on Saturday that David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader and newly announced Senate candidate, has “no place in the Republican Party.”

“David Duke & his hateful bigotry have no place in the Republican Party & the RNC will never support his candidacy under any circumstance,” Priebus tweeted Saturday.

David Duke & his hateful bigotry have no place in the Republican Party & the RNC will never support his candidacy under any circumstance

— Reince Priebus (@Reince) July 23, 2016

{mosads}Duke announced his campaign for one of Louisiana’s Senate seats on Friday, saying in a YouTube video that many of his ideas had been adopted by the Republican Party’s mainstream.

“I’m overjoyed to see [GOP presidential nominee] Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I’ve championed for years,” Duke said. “I was the first major candidate in modern times to promote the policy of ‘America first.’ “

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) also spoke out against the former KKK leader on Friday, calling on his party to stand against Duke.

Every Republican should oppose David Duke running for office, there is no place in the GOP for Ku Klux Klan hatred.

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 22, 2016