David Duke Twitter Account Suspended: Ex-Ku Klux Klan Leader Latest Alt-Right Personality Booted From Platform

UPDATE: 2:06 p.m. EST — David Duke tweeted after his Twitter account was restored Monday afternoon and indicated that he didn't know why his account was temporarily suspended for a few hours earlier in the day.

UPDATE: 1:34 p.m. EST — The Twitter account of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke appeared to be back online after it was briefly suspended Monday. Duke's account, @DrDavidDuke, had fewer than 100 followers, a tiny fraction of his pre-suspension total.

Duke blamed his suspension on a "war" against him, Forward.com, a Jewish news publication, reported.

"We are really at war. Trump is at war," Duke said, according to the Forward. "They're trying to make [Trump] go to jail and die in jail... They're going to war against me, too." Duke added that he was suspended because he exposed "the fact that Israel is an ethno-state."

Duke's official website said the reason his account was suspended because "over the weekend [Duke] responded to news that President Trump has revealed that the Obama Administration wiretapped Trump Tower during the election campaign."

Duke then tweeted at President Trump, saying "this is war."

He continued in a separate tweet: "You cannot appease the fake media and their allies in government. You must break them."

White nationalist Richard Spencer quickly came to Duke's defense Monday, claiming that Duke was suspended for "being white" on Twitter.

Twitter did not immediately respond to an email seeking a comment.

Original story:

On Monday, Twitter suspended the account of David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, Louisiana state representative, and 2016 Senate candidate. Duke has been called the "most recognizable figure of the American radical right," by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups.

Duke was a known provocateur on the social media platform where he often tweeted in support of President Donald Trump. In recent weeks he attacked actor Chris Evans, who is white, for appearing in pictures with women of color. He also sparred with TV host Anthony Bourdain.

Duke is the latest alt-right personality to be suspended from the popular messaging platform. In July, Twitter permanently suspended Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos after he was accused of inciting hate speech against actress Leslie Jones.