Joe Biden is not and has never been a member of or associated with the leadership of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Public claims of such an association typically stem from his political relationship with former Senator Robert Byrd, who was a local KKK leader in the 1940s before renouncing the group and becoming a civil rights supporter.
Key facts regarding these claims include:
Relationship with Robert Byrd: Biden and Byrd served together in the Senate for decades. Biden considered Byrd a "mentor" and "friend". In 2010, Biden delivered a eulogy at Byrd's funeral, as did other prominent leaders including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Misleading Viral Images: A frequently circulated photo showing Biden holding hands with Byrd has been used on social media to claim Biden was "with a Grand Wizard". While Byrd was a local "Exalted Cyclops" in the early 1940s, he never held the national "Grand Wizard" title and spent the later decades of his life repeatedly apologizing for his past.
Civil Rights Context: By the time of his death, Byrd had earned a 100% approval rating from the NAACP, which praised his "transformative power" in moving from a KKK member to a "stalwart supporter" of civil rights.
Other Segregationist Associations: Critics also point to Biden’s past work and cordial relationships with other segregationist senators, such as Strom Thurmond and James Eastland, during his early years in the Senate. Biden has defended these relationships as necessary for legislative bipartisanship in that era.
In recent years, Biden has explicitly condemned white supremacy, calling it the "most lethal terrorist threat" to the United States.
