Delegate Delicateness and OMG PHOTOBOMBING GHOSTS NOPE.

Another day, another opportunity for me to shriek and curl up under my desk because of this photobombing ghost. You can ask my family: Amy + Ghosts = NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.

Trump had a big day yesterday. In addition to winning a bunch of primaries against ghost (NOPE) candidates, he named his Republican National Committee delegates for California. It was an interesting group, including House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the former owner of the San Diego Union-Tribune, as well as Ronald Reagan’s son-in-law.

Two additional delegates made the news, for veeerrrrrrrry different reasons.

One, Peter Thiel, is a Silicon Valley legend and, according to Wired, an “ultimate tech bro”. Thiel is a BFD: co-founder and CEO of Pay Pal, co-founder of Palantir, first outside investor of Facebook, gives $100,000 to teens who drop out of school to “build new things,” wants to establish autonomous off-shore technology communities, is worth $1.5 billion. Thiel is a libertarian and prolific conservative donor who frequently supports Republican candidates, including a $2 million donation to Carly Fiorina’s Super PAC last summer. Public Republicans in SV are a rarity - though I think the perceived social pressure has lessened in recent months as this batshit primary continues apace - so Thiel serving as a Trump delegate is not surprising due to Trump’s status as presumptive nominee.

The other, however, caused many the jaw to drop and numerous foreheads to slam on desks. The Trump campaign selected William Johnson, head of the American Freedom Party and avowed white nationalist, as a California delegate. Johnson was responsible for pro-Trump robocalls that said "The white race is dying out in America and Europe because we are afraid to be called ‘racist,’ ... Don't vote for a Cuban. Vote for Donald Trump.”

When Mother Jones discovered Johnson’s delegate status - it had been submitted to the California secretary of state, after all - and asked Johnson for comment, he said: "I just hope to show how I can be mainstream and have these views… I can be a white nationalist and be a strong supporter of Donald Trump and be a good example to everybody.”. The Trump campaign responded by saying that a "database error" had led to Johnson’s inclusion as a delegate, but then MJ hit back with evidence that the campaign had indeed corresponded with Johnson well after the alleged error. And though the campaign tried to have Johnson struck, the campaign may be stuck with him: the deadline to adjust delegate lists has passed.

Toodles, darlings!