David Duke praises Trump for Putin press conference
Jacqueline Thomsen
thehill.com

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke offered praise for President Trump’s widely criticized press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “historic” and “courageous.”

“I my lifetime I have never seen such a courageous attack on the whole of the ZOG, the Zionist Occupied Government of the United States and the Zionist Occupied Media!” Duke tweeted on Monday of the press conference. “Today Trump is a Hero! Trump is no Jesus but they hate him as much!!!!!!”

“Bravo Trump! Bravo Russia! Bravo to all the true American Patriots who put America first and Peace and Justice first before the Zionist Deep Evil State ruling American Media and Politics,” Duke continued.

“Russia has values America once had and America the values that Communist Russia had!”

The former Grand Wizard has been complimentary of Trump in the past, praising the president for retweeting videos from a far-right British figure purporting to show violence committed by Muslims and backing Trump’s comments last year blaming “both sides” for the violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va.

Duke also endorsed Trump in the 2016 election.

Trump disavowed Duke, after initially avoiding questions about the former KKK leader's support.

Trump caused mass outcry Monday when he refused to criticize Russia about election meddling efforts during a press conference with Putin. The president said he has "great confidence" in U.S. intelligence but also noted Putin's denials of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russians sought to interfere in the election, as have several congressional committees.

Intelligence leaders, Republicans and Democrats have largely criticized Trump over Monday's comments.