MAGA candidate counts Unabomber Ted Kaczynski 'among his intellectual influencers': report

A MAGA candidate who's courting former President Donald Trump's endorsement and has tech billionaire Peter Thiel's backing is vying for the Republican nomination for Arizona Senate.

Blake Masters, a former Thiel employee who frequently appears on Tucker Carlson's Fox News program, is polling in the third place, despite his unconventional campaign and praise for the writings of the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, reported Politico.

“I don’t think Arizonans want a moderate. I think they want someone who’s non-crazy,” Masters told the publication. “Look, I’m bold. I’m running a bold campaign. I’m not gonna mince words: I think our country is in a lot of trouble, and I talk about problems and solutions.”

The venture capitalist is president of the Thiel Foundation and co-author of a book with the right-wing tech billionaire, but he's a harsh critic of Big Tech, and he traffics in Trump's election lies, promotes the white nationalist "replacement theory and thinks “everybody should read” the Unabomber’s manifesto, “Industrial Society and Its Future.”

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“I’m unique and differentiated and interesting," Masters told Politico, "and maybe that correlates to new leadership that knows what time it is. Instead of just like, ‘Hi, I’m a narcissist with political ambitions. Let me hire a consultant, please tell me what to say so I can get this position of power.’ Like, f*ck that, that’s what all these other people do.”

He also faced criticism for a 2006 anti-war essay he wrote for the libertarian LewRockwell.com site that included a quote from Nazi official Hermann Goering and argued the U.S. had not fought in a just war in 140 years, although Masters insists that he did not endorse the Nazi leader's views and says he went "too far" in denouncing American militarism.

“It definitely looks more nationalistic, but I think it’s a healthy nationalism,” Masters said of his vision for the Republican Party. “There’s that N-word — nationalism — that you’re not supposed to say.”

The Politico correspondent reminded him of the other N-word, and Masters had a ready answer.

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“I said that on purpose because it’s like this taboo: ‘You couldn’t possibly be a nationalist!’" Masters said. "But if you don’t think the job of an American official is to look out for America first, and Americans first, before the world or the international community or Botswana? Like what the f*ck?”