GOD BLESS WIKILEAKS - Julian Assange is a hero -> America owes this man one thing -> FREEDOM!!! Thank you, sir - THANK YOU! #WIKILEAKS pic.twitter.com/zFcvGUmPRA

“GOD BLESS WIKILEAKS - Julian Assange is a hero -> America owes this man one thing -> FREEDOM!!!” tweeted Duke alongside a photo of Assange. “Thank you, sir - THANK YOU!”

After Republican Donald Trump captured the 270 votes needed to secure the presidency, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke took to Twitter to thank one person in particular: Julian Assange.

Duke presumably thanked Assange for the WikiLeaks dumps of hacked e-mails belonging to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee.

The hacked e-mails revealed embarassing situations for the Clinton campaign.

Early in October, Assange promised “significant” disclosures on subjects including the US election and Google.


About two weeks after Assange’s promise of an October surprise, WikiLeaks claimed that Ecuador “severed” Assange’s Internet access. Assange has been staying at Educador’s embassy in London for four years after skipping bail to avoid being extradited over sex crimes claims.

WikiLeaks later claimed that Secretary of State John Kerry pressured Ecuador into cutting Assange’s internet. The State Department denied it.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Aimee Ortiz can be reached at aimee.ortiz@globe.com. Follow her on twitter @aimee_ortiz.