Minnesota GOP picks far-right conspiracy theorist in bizarre Senate endorsement

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The Minnesota Republican Party officially endorsed far-right conspiracy theorist Royce White as its Senate nominee this year, potentially setting him up to run against incumbent Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar. White, who is Black, had a cup of coffee in the National Basketball Association before walking away amid mental health issues. He’s garnered media attention for being outspoken about some of those issues in the past and, after briefly fashioning himself as an anti-racist activist in 2020, he became a full-on MAGA conspiracy theorist and podcaster. Two-thirds of the delegates to the Minnesota state GOP convention voted to officially endorse his primary bid on Saturday, aligning them with another White supporter: Trump adviser Steve Bannon. Media Matters compiled this handy list of lowlights that helps sum up White’s past few years: White has pushed far-right media conspiracy theories, including about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi; the tragic Maui wildfires; and the 2020 election. He is also virulently anti-LGBTQ, writing that “the LGBTQ movement is the brainchild of radical feminists and their cucked men.... At least from a political standpoint.” He has claimed that former professional basketball player Charles Barkley was being influenced by a Jewish “cabal.” Media Matters also included screenshots of White using homophobic and blatantly sexist slurs online. As you might imagine, White’s politics haven’t proven to be a winner in the past. In 2022, he lost a GOP primary seeking to challenge Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar for her seat. Nonetheless, this is the person Minnesota Republicans seem to think will oust Klobuchar, who’s been in her seat nearly two decades. Rest assured, it'll be an uphill battle. White is a prime reason why I've urged Democrats to watch the right-wing podcast world: These days, that’s where conservative celebrities are created, narratives are spun and campaigns are launched.