The Louisiana Republican, whom some in his party reportedly want to elect as speaker of the US House of Representatives after the stunning and historic removal of, was once reported to have called himself “David Duke, without the baggage”
Duke, 73, is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, an avowed white supremacist who ran for Louisiana governor, the US House and Senate, and for president, and who in 2003 was sentenced to 15 months in jail for mail and tax fraud.
Scalise, now 57, was elected to Congress in 2008. He became Republican House whip in 2014 and was elected majority leader in 2022, as a hardline conservative acceptable to the far right of his party, which has now successfully rebelled against McCarthy.
Ahead of McCarthy’s removal, Scalise implored his fellow Republicans “to keep doing this work that we were sent to do” rather than focus on ejecting the speaker. “This isn’t the time to slow that process down,” said Scalise, denying interest in the speakership. Immediately after the vote to remove McCarthy, however, the ringleader of the motion to vacate, of Florida, used his first remarks to say Scalise would be “a phenomenal speaker”.
Gaetz also said Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Jody Arrington of Texas and Kevin Hearn of Oklahoma might be good choices. But the speakership may offer Scalise a tempting prize: if he is elevated into the role, he will become the highest-ranking member of Congress ever to come from Louisiana.
Duke, Scalise’s fellow Louisianan, last made national headlines when he supported Donald Trump for president in 2016 – support Trump was slow to disavow.
Two years before that, Scalise ran into controversy, and his remark about Duke surfaced, after a blogger revealed Scalise’s attendance at a white supremacist conference organized by Duke in 2002.
Scalise, whose district includes a large suburban area of New Orleans, said he had been seeking “support for legislation that focused on cutting wasteful state spending, eliminating government corruption and stopping tax hikes”, but “wholeheartedly condemn[ed]” the views of the group concerned.
He also said attending the conference “was a mistake I regret”, as he “emphatically oppose[d] the divisive racial and religious views that groups like these hold”.
Citing his Catholicism, Scalise said “these groups hold views that are vehemently opposed to my own personal faith, and I reject that kind of hateful bigotry. Those who know me best know I have always been passionate about helping, serving and fighting for every family that I represent. And I will continue to do so.”
Duke, 73, is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, an avowed white supremacist who ran for Louisiana governor, the US House and Senate, and for president, and who in 2003 was sentenced to 15 months in jail for mail and tax fraud.
Scalise, now 57, was elected to Congress in 2008. He became Republican House whip in 2014 and was elected majority leader in 2022, as a hardline conservative acceptable to the far right of his party, which has now successfully rebelled against McCarthy.
Ahead of McCarthy’s removal, Scalise implored his fellow Republicans “to keep doing this work that we were sent to do” rather than focus on ejecting the speaker. “This isn’t the time to slow that process down,” said Scalise, denying interest in the speakership. Immediately after the vote to remove McCarthy, however, the ringleader of the motion to vacate, of Florida, used his first remarks to say Scalise would be “a phenomenal speaker”.
Gaetz also said Tom Emmer of Minnesota, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Jody Arrington of Texas and Kevin Hearn of Oklahoma might be good choices. But the speakership may offer Scalise a tempting prize: if he is elevated into the role, he will become the highest-ranking member of Congress ever to come from Louisiana.
Duke, Scalise’s fellow Louisianan, last made national headlines when he supported Donald Trump for president in 2016 – support Trump was slow to disavow.
Two years before that, Scalise ran into controversy, and his remark about Duke surfaced, after a blogger revealed Scalise’s attendance at a white supremacist conference organized by Duke in 2002.
Scalise, whose district includes a large suburban area of New Orleans, said he had been seeking “support for legislation that focused on cutting wasteful state spending, eliminating government corruption and stopping tax hikes”, but “wholeheartedly condemn[ed]” the views of the group concerned.
He also said attending the conference “was a mistake I regret”, as he “emphatically oppose[d] the divisive racial and religious views that groups like these hold”.
Citing his Catholicism, Scalise said “these groups hold views that are vehemently opposed to my own personal faith, and I reject that kind of hateful bigotry. Those who know me best know I have always been passionate about helping, serving and fighting for every family that I represent. And I will continue to do so.”
