David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950, in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American far-right politician, white supremacist, neo-Nazi, conspiracy theorist, and longtime white supremacist activist. He rose to prominence as a leader in the Ku Klux Klan, founding the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in 1974 after graduating from college and serving as its Grand Wizard from 1974 to 1980. Duke has long promoted antisemitic and neo-Nazi ideologies, including Holocaust denial and conspiracy theories alleging Jewish control over academia, the press, and the financial system, and he advocates racial separatism. His efforts to rebrand white supremacy for a broader audience involved toning down overt violence while maintaining racist rhetoric, which helped him gain some political traction. In 1989, Duke was elected as a Republican to the Louisiana House of Representatives, serving until 1992, where he focused on issues like opposition to affirmative action and welfare reform, often framed through a white nationalist lens. He ran unsuccessfully for higher offices, including the U.S. Senate in 1990, Louisiana governor in 1991 (where he advanced to a runoff but lost), and the U.S. presidency in 1988 as a Democrat before switching parties. Throughout his career, Duke has been a prolific writer and speaker, authoring books such as 'Jewish Supremacism' and 'My Awakening,' which elaborate on his antisemitic and white nationalist views. He has also worked as a radio host promoting these ideologies. He has been condemned by organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, which in 2013 described him as 'perhaps America's most well-known racist and anti-Semite.' Duke's influence extends to online platforms, where he has endorsed alt-right movements and supported figures like Donald Trump, while facing deplatforming from social media for hate speech. Legally, he has faced charges including tax evasion and mail fraud in the 1990s, pleading guilty in 2000 to fraud related to a kickback scheme, resulting in a 15-month prison sentence. Despite these setbacks, Duke remains active in far-right circles, promoting his ideologies through radio shows, websites, and international appearances, including in Europe and Ukraine, where he has sought alliances with like-minded groups.