"I'm 100 percent behind it. I have a long record of being in favor of protecting our borders from this massive immigration." | AP Photo Ex-KKK leader David Duke: 'Donald Trump is not a racist'

There will be no greater ally for a President Donald Trump in the United States Senate than ex-KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, the Republican Louisiana Senate candidate declared, remarking that the Republican nominee "is not a racist."

"As a United States senator, nobody will be more supportive of his legislative agenda, his Supreme Court agenda than I will," Duke said in an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep aired Friday on "Morning Edition."


Duke continued, "I'm 100 percent behind it. I have a long record of being in favor of protecting our borders from this massive immigration."

Within minutes of Duke declaring his candidacy last month, National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director Ward Baker said that Duke would not have the party's support "under any circumstance."

Trump's campaign has repeatedly disavowed any connection or endorsement from the white supremacist leader.

“I don’t know if he’s with me or not, but I would hope that he and others would realize the same lies they make about him is what they say about me," Duke said. "I’ve always said that I’m equal rights for all people, but I also believe that European Americans shouldn’t be facing discrimination either, and I’m sick and tired of this very vicious anti-white narrative in our national media, in our movies.”

Republicans who have spoken out against Trump, Duke added, are "betraying the principles of the Republican Party and certainly conservatism."

"These are just nothing more than epithets and vicious attacks. Donald Trump is not a racist. And the truth is, in this country, if you simply defend the heritage of European American people, then you're automatically a racist," Duke said. "There's massive racial discrimination against European Americans, and that's the reality."

Inskeep responded, "You know that white people in this country still have the overwhelming preponderance of wealth and power, right?"

"Well they don't really have the overwhelming—European American history—no, they don't. I mean, Hollywood is not controlled by traditional European American heritage."

Asked whether he was referring to Jews, Duke remarked, "Or they're from the Middle East, that's not European. That's not European. That's Middle Eastern and they have a particular orientation for their positions and their programs."

Regardless of Trump's public statements about Duke, the Senate candidate expressed confidence that he would have the support of the GOP nominee's backers in Louisiana.

“We’ve done the analysis of what’s going on in Louisiana. We’ve already polled inside the Trump voters, and we know we’re gonna carry 75 to 80 percent of those who are going to vote for Trump,” Duke said.

Inskeep followed up: “You think Trump voters are your voters?”

“Well of course they are, because I represent the ideas of preserving this country and the heritage of this country and I think Trump represents that as well," Duke responded.