In 1991, Republican David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, with ties to other white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, ran for governor of Louisiana. His main opponent was Democrat Edwin Edwards, who had also been dogged by charges of corruption. The odious nature of both candidates led to a split among the voters of Louisiana. The race drew national attention when then-President George H.W. Bush came out against Duke.
Then-private citizen Donald Trump called Duke “a bigot, a racist, a problem.” He also said that Bush was right to come out against Duke’s campaign.