Trump taps "fake elector" to present him with official nomination

At the Republican National Convention, the GOP plans to dig its heels into election fraud.

Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald, who participated in a scheme to send fake electors to Washington D.C. to subvert the will of Nevada voters, will present Donald Trump with his nomination at the convention in Milwaukee next week.

McDonald, whose home was raided by the FBI in 2022, was charged in 2023 with tampering with and submitting falsified official documents, though a judge dismissed the case and ordered prosecutors to re-file in a different venue last month.

McDonald has chaired the Nevada Republican Party since 2012, and has repeatedly called the results of the 2020 election into question. His role at the convention stunned social media users, including one Biden campaign official.

“WOW. Donald Trump is going to be presented the nomination by the architect of NV's scheme to steal the election — the same lies that inspired a mob to attack the United States Capitol to overthrow an election,” campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa said in a post to X.

Trump, who has promised to pardon all January 6th rioters, faces indictments and investigations into federal and numerous state plots to overturn the results of the race, which he lost to President Joe Biden.

McDonald, who started an official position with the Trump campaign last week as a senior advisor, previously changed the rules of Nevada’s primary process to shield Trump from direct competition with his then-opponents, earning him goodwill with the former president.

On the appointment, McDonald emphasized his relationship with Trump and promised to fight for the campaign.

“This is something that is personal for me,” McDonald told Nevada newspaper the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I know the man personally. It’s not just a title, it’s a badge of honor to be able to be in this position, to be here for him and the Trump campaign.”