While Donald Trump's campaign has been bending over backwards to distance the presumptive GOP nominee from the awful words of a former butler,??? ?? ???? they're still dealing with another significant PR problem: the White Nationalist who is now also a delegate from California for the billionaire businessman.
The Trump campaign tried to salvage the situation by removing William Johnson, chairman of the American Freedom Party, as a delegate, it was too late, according to election officials. The Trump campaign has also claimed the controversial selection was due to a database error, but Mother Jonesuncovered correspondence between Johnson and the campaign which casts doubt on the excuse.
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Johnson, for his part, has said he resigned and won't attend the convention, even though he's still on the slate.
But his selection still reflects badly on a campaign that has had to repeatedly battle accusations of racism. For a fuller picture of Johnson's racist views, Mashablehas compiled some of his most outrageous quotes.
"I want a separate white ethno-state"
Speaking to PRI, Johnson outlined his beliefs by saying, "We have in Europe, and every traditionally white country, a dramatic shift in that the founding population is being replaced by immigrants, refugees, other peoples, so, really, the white race is in peril worldwide. I want a separate white ethno-state, but I want to keep Western civilization alive.”
"Precipitous decline in the white race"
He took this one step further in an interview with CNN this week, saying, "I believe we need to be aware of this precipitous decline in the white race and it's good for people to be proud of your heritage."
The American Freedom Party is, by its own mission statement, "a party that represents the interests and issues of European-Americans and all Americans who support our mission."
"Ascertainable trace of Negro blood"
Johnson wrote a book in 1985, Amendment to the Constitution: Averting the Decline and Fall of America, arguing to repeal the 14th and 15 amendments and deport non-whites from the U.S. under the pseudonym James O. Pace. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which describes the AFP as an extremist party, Johnson promoted the book at the 1986 Aryan Nations World Congress.
Johnson had been advocating for the deportation of all non-white immigrants and U.S. citizens, including anyone with any “ascertainable trace of Negro blood,” since 1985, when he wrote a book arguing for a constitutional amendment to do just that. Johnson promoted his book far and wide, including at the 1986 Aryan Nations World Congress.
"Militant feminism and radical homosexuality"
Johnson has also criticized women and the LGBTQ community. In a letter on the AFP website addressed to "Fellow Americans," he says of the party:
We believe in the freedom to live in a healthy and moral society. A free people in a healthy society have strong family and marital bonds. Militant feminism and radical homosexuality have been foisted on the American people against their will. It’s time to end the hatred and demonization of men in the media and the bias against men in family law and return to a harmonious and positive balance between men and women that benefits society and nuclear and extended families.
"The White Race is dying"
This isn't the first time Johnson's name has come up in regards to Trump's campaign. The "American National Super PAC" was responsible for a series of robocalls in a few states in which supporters of the PAC, including Johnson, used some questionable language to ask voters to support Trump.
In the first call, Johnson appears at the end and doesn't say much, leaving colleague Jared Taylor (of American Renaissance, a publication by white supremacy group New Century Foundation) to say things like, "We don’t need Muslims. We need smart, well-educated white people who will assimilate to our culture."
But, on another call, Johnson says, "The white race is dying out in America and Europe because we are afraid to be called “racist" and closes with a shot at then-opponent, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, by saying, "Don’t vote for a Cuban."
"The closest candidate to our position"
Johnson is, at least, self-aware about Trump's need to distance himself. In a second interview with CNN this week, Johnson said, "I'm a white nationalist, and we live in a society today where white people don't like white people who like white people. And so, I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize Mr. Trump's chances."
Still, Johnson seems intent on continuing his support of Trump, telling PRI "the race issue" is his primary reason for supporting Trump, adding: "He is saying we need to build a wall. We need to stop Muslims from coming in. He is saying things that are good from the perspective of trying to maintain the integrity of the founding stock of this nation."
Johnson's writings on the AFP website are as critical of Republicans as Democrats, but, as he tells PRI, “Donald Trump is the closest candidate to our position that is mainstream."
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