One time Louisiana Congressman and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke has announced that he will attempt a political comeback, throwing his hat into the race for US Senate, on Friday, July 22. To the public disapproval of Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, and The National Republican Senatorial Committee's leadership, Duke will be running to replace former successor Republican Sen. David Vitter, who has announced that he will not be running for re-election. Duke, who will run on a campaign to "defend the rights and heritage" of European Americans, echoed Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump's platform in his address to supporters.

"We must stop the massive immigration and ethnic cleansing of the people whose forefathers created America," He said. "The New York Times admitted that my platform became the GOP mainstream and propelled Republican control of Congress. I'm overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that I've championed for years. My slogan remains 'America First.'"

Duke served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1989-1993, before being replaced by Vitter. He has ran for congress, the senate, state governor and President of the United States as both a Democrat [1988] and a Republican [1992]. Before his venture into politics, he had established himself as a voice on the fringe right, representing White nationalist causes as a founding member of Louisiana's Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in 1974, and the National Association for the Advancement of White People in 1980.

Duke's name became a source of controversy back in March he endorsed Trump's run in the primaries. Trump would elude giving a firm stance against him over the course of several television appearances, before finally disavowing the former Grand Wizard. Following Duke's announcement, Trump spokesperson Hope Kicks reiterated the GOP candidate's position, saying, "Trump has disavowed David Duke and will continue to do so." So too did the Republican Party of Louisiana oppose his candidacy, putting out a statement saying, "David Duke's history of hate marks a dark stain on Louisiana's past and has no place in our current conversation."

Source: cnn.com