Donald Trump supporters aren’t pleased with his six-point lead in Utah. They want more. That’s why one white nationalist is trying to give his candidate a boost during the final days of the presidential campaign.
William Johnson has embarked on a one-man, smear campaign against independent candidate Evan McMullin, accusing the #NeverTrump candidate of living as a closeted gay man.
The strategy will likely do more harm than help. White nationalism doesn’t seem like a winning issue in the polite Mormon heavy state, where McMullin polls at 25 to 30 percent already.
The Daily Beast reports:
“Hello, My name is William Johnson,” the audio recording begins. “I am a farmer and a white nationalist. I make this call against Evan McMullin and in support of Donald Trump.
“Evan McMullin is an open borders, amnesty supporter.
“Evan has two mommies. His mother is a lesbian, married to another woman. Evan is okay with that. Indeed Evan supports the Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage.
“Evan is over 40 years old and is not married and doesn’t even have a girlfriend. I believe Evan is a closet homosexual.
“Don’t vote for Evan McMullin. Vote for Donald Trump. He will respect all women and be a president we can all be proud of.”
When asked what evidence he has for any of these claims, Johnson emailed The Daily Beast: “Wikipedia tells his story (about his mother). Also, if you Google him, it readily comes up. I said that ‘I think he is a closet homosexual.’ Calling someone a homosexual is no longer defamation. Also, he is a public figure. Word on the street is that he is gay.”
As October surprises go, that’s pretty sordid stuff.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
