Donald Trump Picks Well-Known White Nationalist Leader as a Delegate in California
For some reason that’s a total mystery, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and racists of all stripes seem to be attracted to the Donald Trump campaign.
Trump himself has retweeted white supremacists dozens of times now; and his campaign gave press credentials to a notorious white supremacist.
Breitbart “News” is crowing today about the “celebrities” on Trump’s California delegate list: Trump Surprises with Celebrities on California Delegates List.
But another celebrity didn’t make it into the Breitbart article; today via Mother Jones we learn that the Trump campaign has also selected one of America’s most prominent white nationalist leaders as a California delegate.
Imagine, if you will, my huge surprise.
On Monday evening, California’s secretary of state published a list of delegates chosen by the Trump campaign for the upcoming Republican presidential primary in the state. Trump’s slate includes William Johnson, one of the country’s most prominent white nationalists.
Johnson applied to the Trump campaign to be a delegate. He was accepted on Monday. In order to be approved he had to sign this pledge sent to him by the campaign: “I, William Johnson, endorse Donald J. Trump for the office of President of the United States. I pledge to cast ALL of my ballots to elect Donald J. Trump on every round of balloting at the 2016 Republican National Convention so that we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” After he signed, the Trump campaign added his name to the list of 169 delegates it forwarded to the secretary of state.
Johnson leads the American Freedom Party, a group that “exists to represent the political interests of White Americans” and aims to preserve “the customs and heritage of the European American people.” The AFP has never elected a candidate of its own and possesses at most a few thousand members, but it is “arguably the most important white nationalist group in the country,” according to Mark Potok, a senior fellow for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which tracks hate groups.
Here’s the delegate list released by California’s secretary of state:
In a frantic attempt at damage control, the Trump campaign is blaming the inclusion of William Johnson as a delegate on “a database error.” It is to laugh.
Statement from Trump campaign: https://t.co/1wFoZBBGN2 pic.twitter.com/iR0aILYx5W
— Philip Bump (@pbump) May 10, 2016
Before blaming a “database error,” Trump’s spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied it completely.
FWIW, before blaming “database error” here’s what Trump spox Hope Hicks emailed first: “The report is totally false” pic.twitter.com/mEaElFdAkw
— Cameron Joseph (@cam_joseph) May 10, 2016
And now William Johnson has resigned with a classic statement:
White nationalist Johnson on backing away from the delegate spot. https://t.co/HLhj4oOGcr pic.twitter.com/Zo8iGR1NSw
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) May 10, 2016
Oh brother. Now the Trump campaign has totally dropped the “database error” excuse.
NEW Trump camp statement from CA state director no longer cites “database error” —> pic.twitter.com/yMKVXUhGHD
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) May 10, 2016
And the latest news: the Trump campaign didn’t notify California’s secretary of state in time, and white nationalist William Johnson remains on their delegate list. Oh, this is too good.
NEW: White Nationalist William Johnson remains on Trump’s delegate list. Statement from CA Secretary of State Spox: pic.twitter.com/v7DNg0QE7v
— Candace Smith (@CandaceSmith_) May 11, 2016