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Trump blames selection of white nationalist delegate on 'database error' Trump blames selection of white nationalist delegate on 'database error'
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is blaming a “database error” for the inclusion of a prominent white nationalist on the official list of delegates to the Republican National Convention.Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is blaming a “database error” for the inclusion of a prominent white nationalist on the official list of delegates to the Republican National Convention.
However William Daniel Johnson, a Los Angeles based corporate lawyer who once called for a constitutional amendment which would revoke citizenship from all non-white Americans, cast doubt on the claim, telling the Guardian that he was, in fact, a delegate. However, William Daniel Johnson, a Los Angeles-based corporate lawyer who once called for a constitutional amendment which would revoke citizenship from all non-white Americans, cast doubt on the claim, telling the Guardian that he was, in fact, a delegate.
“I will confirm that I am a delegate, but I wont speak more than that because they don’t want me to,” Johnson said, referring to the Trump campaign. “I will confirm that I am a delegate, but I won’t speak more than that because they don’t want me to,” Johnson said, referring to the Trump campaign.
Johnson said he had just been instructed by the Trump campaign to direct all inquiries to them. “That email I got from the Trump camp said to direct all communications regarding delegates to them. I don’t want to go against what they said.”Johnson said he had just been instructed by the Trump campaign to direct all inquiries to them. “That email I got from the Trump camp said to direct all communications regarding delegates to them. I don’t want to go against what they said.”
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Johnson is a self-avowed white nationalist described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “an uninspiring but determined white separatist”.Johnson is a self-avowed white nationalist described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as “an uninspiring but determined white separatist”.
The media outlet Mother Jones initially reported Johnson’s inclusion on the official list of Trump’s California delegates to July’s convention, alongside others including the Republican house majority leader, Kevin Owen McCarthy, and the billionaire founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel. The media outlet Mother Jones initially reported Johnson’s inclusion on the official list of Trump’s California delegates to July’s convention, alongside others including the Republican house majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and the billionaire founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel.
Contacted by the Guardian about the report, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks offered an unequivocal denial but did not initially explain why Johnson was on the list of California delegates. Contacted by the Guardian about the report, Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, offered an unequivocal denial but did not initially explain why Johnson was on the list of California delegates.
“This report is totally false,” Hicks said. “He has not, nor will he be, selected as a delegate.”“This report is totally false,” Hicks said. “He has not, nor will he be, selected as a delegate.”
She and Trump’s California state director, Tim Clark, later emailed reporters with an explanation. “Yesterday the Trump campaign submitted its list of California delegates to be certified by the Secretary of State of California. A database error led to the inclusion of a potential delegate that had been rejected and removed from the campaign’s list in February 2016.”She and Trump’s California state director, Tim Clark, later emailed reporters with an explanation. “Yesterday the Trump campaign submitted its list of California delegates to be certified by the Secretary of State of California. A database error led to the inclusion of a potential delegate that had been rejected and removed from the campaign’s list in February 2016.”
The Secretary of State for California have not yet responded to a request for clarification. In a further email to reporters, Clark said: “Upon careful review of computer records, the inclusion of a potential delegate that had previously been rejected and removed from the campaign’s list in February 2016, was discovered. This was immediately corrected and a final list, which does not include this individual, was submitted for certification.”
The office of the secretary of state for California has not yet responded to a request for clarification.
According to the Mother Jones report, Johnson said that in his application to be a delegate for Trump he disclosed details about his background and activism, but did not specifically use the term “white nationalist”. “I just hope to show how I can be mainstream and have these views,” Johnson told the publication. “I can be a white nationalist and be a strong supporter of Donald Trump and be a good example to everybody.”According to the Mother Jones report, Johnson said that in his application to be a delegate for Trump he disclosed details about his background and activism, but did not specifically use the term “white nationalist”. “I just hope to show how I can be mainstream and have these views,” Johnson told the publication. “I can be a white nationalist and be a strong supporter of Donald Trump and be a good example to everybody.”
Any suggestion Trump was willing to be connected to with a white nationalist could damage his campaign, which has been plagued with complaints of racism. In February, the billionaire candidate was criticized for initially failing to David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader who had urged sympathizers to vote for Trump. Any suggestion Trump was willing to be connected to with a white nationalist could damage his campaign, which has been plagued with complaints of racism. In February, the billionaire candidate was criticized for initially failing to disavow David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader who had urged sympathizers to vote for Trump.
In 1985 Johnson proposed an amendment to the constitution which would repeal the 14th amendment (citizenship for all those born in the US) and the 15th (which granted African-American men the right to vote) and force the deportation of all non-white citizens. In 1985 Johnson proposed an amendment to the constitution that would repeal the 14th amendment (citizenship for all those born in the US) and the 15th (which granted African American men the right to vote) and force the deportation of all non-white citizens.
According to the Southern Poverty Law CenterJohnson’s amendment sought the deportation of all those with any “ascertainable trace of Negro blood” and all those more than one eighth “Mongolian, Asian, Asia Minor, Middle Eastern, Semitic, Near Eastern, American Indian, Malay or other non-European or non-white blood”. According to the Southern Poverty Law CenterJohnson’s amendment sought the deportation of all those with any “ascertainable trace of Negro blood” and all those more than one-eighth “Mongolian, Asian, Asia Minor, Middle Eastern, Semitic, Near Eastern, American Indian, Malay or other non-European or non-white blood”.
He believed it imperative that his amendment be enacted in order to avoid a “race war”.He believed it imperative that his amendment be enacted in order to avoid a “race war”.
Johnson, who works as a corporate lawyer in southern California, is also chairman of the American Freedom party, whose platform states that “White Americans should select a party that advocates for issues and concerns affecting European Americans”, and goes on to describe itself as “a Nationalist party that shares the customs and heritage of the European American people”.Johnson, who works as a corporate lawyer in southern California, is also chairman of the American Freedom party, whose platform states that “White Americans should select a party that advocates for issues and concerns affecting European Americans”, and goes on to describe itself as “a Nationalist party that shares the customs and heritage of the European American people”.