‘Women Have Become Too Mouthy’: Royce White Wins GOP Senate Primary Despite History Of Controversial Comments

Former NBA player Royce White won the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Minnesota on Tuesday in a primary race that grabbed headlines over White’s many controversial remarks and allegations of misusing campaign donations in the past – including at strip clubs.

White’s NBC career was cut short by severe anxiety, which prevented him to fly and resulted in him becoming an advocate for mental health. He was an active figure in the Black Lives Matter movement in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd , but has since taken a sharp turn to the hard right and become a close ally of conspiracy theorists like Steve Bannon and Alex Jones.

White , who also unsuccessfully ran for a House seat in 2022, has made headlines for his comments attacking women, the LGBTQ community, and Jewish Americans. Last year, he joined Bannon’s War Room podcast and declared, “ Look, let’s just be frank. Women have become too mouthy. As the Black man in the room, I’ll say that.”

Bannon replied with a jab at MSNBC host Joy Reid, saying, “Can I officially say that Joy Reid’s ‘Black Girl magic’ does not work with Royce White.” White replied, “You know, you’re going to send me off. You go to Joy-Ann Reid. She’s wearing a white woman’s wig. You’re going to piss me off this afternoon. I’m having a beautiful day without thinking about that scam.”

While Bannon has been in jail for contempt of Congress, White has guest-hosted his podcast and his campaign for U.S. Senate has been endorsed by other Bannon acolytes like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

White has also used social media and his podcast, Please Call Me Crazy , to push bigoted attacks on individuals and promote conspiracy theories – including claims that 9/11 was a “false flag” operation. Media Matters documented White on social media calling various men “fag” and multiple female leaders like Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi “Cunt.”

White was also disavowed by the Republican Jewish Coalition for his attacks on American Jews and claims that “Jewish elites” secretly run the country.

“White is also an eager promoter of antisemitic conspiracy theories and an avid defender of egregious antisemites, including Stew Peters, Louis Farrakhan and Kanye West . He echoes the rhetoric of the Left’s antisemitic fanatics, describing Israel as “a country that takes our tax money to be ethno-national” in a comment made not long after Hamas’s October 7th attacks,” wrote the RJC in a statement in July, adding:

While Democrats – including Senator Klobuchar – have failed to take a clear stand against Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s antisemitism, we refuse to excuse or ignore antisemitism when it arises in our party. That’s why we will never support Royce White for Senate or any other position of public trust.

The Associated Press reported on White’s alleged campaign finance issues. “The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in June alleging that White had used congressional campaign funds to illegally pay over $157,000 in personal expenses, saying he ‘appears to have misappropriated donors’ money to benefit himself,” reported the AP last week, adding :

As first reported by The Daily Beast, potentially illegal expenses included $1,200 spent at a Florida strip club after he lost a race for Congress in 2022.

White will face incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on the ballot in November and is certain to continue to gain national attention as both Democrats and Republicans court voters.