Today brought bad news for anyone who treasures KKK-inspired hot takes on Twitter. The social media site apparently needed a break from former Grand Wizard David Duke’s presence and unceremoniously suspended his account. It didn’t last long — and perhaps this was simply a blip — but for a brief period of time, Duke nearly followed in the tradition of Tila Tequila, who was recently banned for her Nazi salute photo and a profile that boasted about being an “Alt-Reich queen.” MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin promptly shared a screencap.
David Duke's account has been suspended. pic.twitter.com/vb6CgWtaLI
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 6, 2017
And it was real. Duke’s profile disappeared from Twitter, and one can imagine that his reaction was much like his white supremacist meltdown during a Louisiana U.S. Senate debate last year. As soon as the news began to circulate, notorious white supremacist/Nazi Richard Spencer (whose account was banned last year but later reinstated) spoke up for his like-minded pal.
Spencer believes that Duke was banned for “being white,” and he encouraged people to help fund a lawsuit against Twitter. No, this is not a joke.
What was David Duke's offense? Being white, on $Twtr. https://t.co/BXU6mZXL5c
— Richard Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) March 6, 2017
If you are upset about Twitter banning David Duke fund the lawsuit. https://t.co/lEbzW3Tap2
— Richard Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) March 6, 2017
Of course, Spencer’s assumption brought a wave of replies that called him out exactly like author Matt Haig did below.
https://twitter.com/matthaig1/status/838813366256877571
Before anyone could properly celebrate (and wonder whether that feud with Chris Evans was the fifth-to-last straw), Duke’s account resurfaced. He acknowledged his suspension and claims to have no idea why this happened. And to be extra obnoxious, he added a #FreeDavidDuke tag at the end.
https://twitter.com/DrDavidDuke/status/838825543990657024