Alleged White Nationalist Tied to President Trump and Roy Moore Challenging Paul Ryan
Paul Nehlen, a businessman and Wisconsin Republican who is running to replace House Speaker Paul Ryan, campaigned in Alabama for Roy Moore, and was previously backed by President Donald Trump, is allegedly a white supremacist.
Wearing a Trump campaign red "Make America Great Again" cap, Nehlen spoke last week at Moore's campaign rally in Midland City, Alabama, a day before the election, according to Christopher Mathias at Huffington Post.
Earlier, he also defended Moore on Twitter, saying the accusations against Moore were an attempt at a "coup," according to RedState.
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"Every Wisconsin politician has weighed in against Judge Moore. Not one of them knows the Judge. Except me. I know, believe, support him," Nehlen tweeted on Nov. 12.
On Dec. 9, Nehlen spoke to the hosts of a podcast called "Fash the Nation," which is white nationalist or alt-right. "Fash" is alt-right shorthand for fascist. On Dec. 8 Nehlen reposted a drawing with white nationalist terminology someone had made for him to Gab, a micro-blogging platform often used by white nationalists, according to Mathias. Mathias wrote to the businessman three times by email asking if he considers himself a white nationalist. "Twice Nehlen dodged the question. The third time he didn't respond," he wrote.
"It was Nehlen's second appearance on [Fash the Nation], and his fluency with white nationalist jargon was evident as he made thinly veiled anti-Semitic remarks and proudly recounted having told a Jewish magazine editor to 'eat a bullet,'" Mathias added.
On Sunday, Nehlen tweeted a response to Mathias, alleging that Mathias only asked him if he disavowed his whiteness. Mathias retweeted the response, claiming it was Nehlen's interpretation of being asked if he is a white nationalist.
Last month, a woman named Leigh Corfman accused Moore of initiating sexual encounters with her when she was 14. Later, several other women made similar accusations. Moore has denied the allegations.
Three women alleged Moore attempted to date them when they were between the ages of 16 and 18 and he was in his early 30s, though they clarified that he did not force them into any sort of sexual contact. However, an Alabama resident, Beverly Young Nelson, alleged that Moore groped her and tried to force her to perform oral sex when she was just 16.
Many GOP senators and some Christian leaders had called on Moore to drop out.
This is the second time Nehlen is going to be Ryan's opponent.
Last August, Nehlen ran against Ryan in a Republican primary in the latter's Wisconsin home district, and drove a dump truck that urged people to "Dump Ryan," according to Heavy.com.
Nehlen lost the primary by about 70 percentage points.
Around that time, Trump refused to endorse Ryan, and instead praised Nehlen, saying he liked Ryan but "these are horrible times for our country. We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I'm just not quite there yet. I'm not quite there yet," according to The Washington Post.
Later, Trump thanked Nehlen for supporting him following his alleged remarks concerning Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a Muslim Army captain, Humayun Khan, who died in Iraq.
The Washington Times once called Nehlen "a wealthy businessman with tea party ties."
Nehlen and his wife, Gabriela, live in Delaven, Wisconsin,
Ryan might not be seeking re-election.
