Former NBA player Royce White shakes up US Senate Republican primary

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon surrendered in a federal prison in Connecticut, he asked the unconventional U.S. Senate candidate from Minnesota to face by his side.

Royce White, who’s searching for the Republican nomination in next week’s primary to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, embraced Bannon last month and praised him as an “American hero.”

White also counts conspiracy theorist Alex Jones amongst his friends, and his past social media comments have been condemned as misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic and blasphemous. His legal and financial troubles include unpaid child support and questionable campaign spending. As first reported by The Daily Beast, Among the possibly illegal expenses was $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after losing the 2022 congressional election.

But White surprised Minnesota politics in May when, with Bannon’s backing, he won the state Republican Party’s endorsement to tackle Klobuchar. He still needs a victory in Tuesday’s primary and is a transparent underdog against Klobuchar in November.

But his surprising success in a state that has a practice of electing unusual candidates — akin to wrestler Jesse Ventura for governor and comedian Al Franken for senator — made the race anything however the sleeper event it was made out to be.

His rise from a basketball player whose NBA profession was cut short by mental health issues to politics is an indication of the growing strength of the populist wing of the GOP that Bannon helped construct. White was a frequent guest on Bannon’s “War Room.”

It’s also telling of the present state of the Republican Party in Minnesota. It’s a state that has long been reliably Democratic in presidential politics, though Trump has promised to compete there this yr. Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice of current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate Tuesday further shakes up the state’s political landscape, and the GOP has yet to prove it’s able to compete within the state’s races. Yet Trump’s shadow looms over all, sometimes in ways in which amplify the voices of the extremists who embraced him, pushing those figures to the forefront.

“Please Call Me Crazy” is the name of White’s podcast. He can also be a prolific user of social media, where he recently called himself “the new gold standard of American tough-guy, crushing, nationalist populism.”

His targets include the Federal Reserve, which he says is run by “Jewish elites,” in addition to the national debt, the border, LGBTQ+ activists, the mainstream media and his critics. He argues that as a black man, he can assist broaden the party’s base by appealing to voters of color within the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and others who’re disillusioned with establishment politics.

White drew little attention when he finished second within the 2022 GOP primary to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. That’s why, he said in an interview, he was as shocked as anyone when he won on the primary ballot on the state party’s convention in May, beating a more traditional Republican, Navy veteran Joe Fraser, who can also be running within the primary. White credits Bannon’s endorsement — and his own speech — with convincing delegates that he could be the strongest advocate for the pro-Trump “America First MAGA” movement.

Larry Jacobs, a political scientist on the University of Minnesota, said White’s endorsement was a “shocking example” of how easily the method might be manipulated when turnout is low. The convention was sparsely attended, and lots of delegates knew little about Fraser and were won over by White’s “energy and charisma.”

“Royce is clearly not prepared to be a U.S. senator and candidate,” Jacobs said. “His past is shameful and he will be easy prey for Amy Klobuchar.”

It was only after the Republican Party endorsed that White’s story got here under scrutiny. The Campaign Legal Center he filed a grievance In June, the Federal Election Commission charged that White used congressional campaign funds to illegally pay greater than $157,000 for private expenses, stating that he “appears to have misappropriated donor money to benefit himself.”

White denies any improper spending. In a letter last month, he said he reimbursed his campaign for “unauthorized expenses,” including a visit to a strip club. He tweeted that he loved the food there. He admitted that he owed child support.

As a basketball player, White led Hopkins High School to a state championship in 2009. A shoplifting arrest hastened his departure from the University of Minnesota, but he was a star at Iowa State and was drafted by Houston in the primary round of the 2012 NBA draft. He had an anxiety disorder that included a fear of flying and never played in a game for the Rockets. His only NBA playing time was three minutes in three games with Sacramento in 2014. Now, he says he flies when he has to and that it won’t be an issue if he’s drafted.

He returned to play in Big3, the 3-on-3 league co-founded by Ice Cube. It was Big3 co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz who introduced White to Bannon.

White also became friends with Jones, the Infowars host who’s owed thousands and thousands of dollars for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax. White said Jones himself has admitted that a few of the things he said were improper, but he continues to be a fan.

“He has a lot of courage to say things a lot of people wouldn’t say,” White said.

Klobuchar, with greater than $6 million in campaign funds, could have an enormous financial advantage over any of the Republican candidates.

Klobuchar spokesman Ben Hill made no mention of his rivals, touting the senator’s legislative record on forcing pharmaceutical corporations to barter drug prices and winning aid for military veterans. “Senator Klobuchar is focused on her work in the Senate and delivering results for Minnesotans,” Hill said in an email.

Fraser said in an interview that White’s confrontational style and message wouldn’t attract moderates and independents. He said he offered a more mainstream approach, emphasizing fiscal conservatism, a robust defense, global leadership and small government. White’s alliances worry Fraser.

“Bannon is Bannon, but I actually think his support for Alex Jones is an affront to decency,” Fraser said.

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Fraser points to his 26 years within the Navy, where he was an intelligence officer. His service included a combat tour in Iraq. He and his wife, also a Navy veteran, settled in Minnesota due to her family. He said their frustrations with the Biden administration “and its terrible foreign policy and its ineffective domestic policy” drove him into politics.

Former Minnesota Republican Party vice chairman Michael Brodkorb said White’s endorsement shows the method is flawed and a part of the issue is that Republicans like him not attend conventions.

“You’ll see an active coalition of pro-Amy Klobuchar Republicans who will proudly and vocally support her if Royce White wins the primary,” Brodkorb predicted.