Trump Special Counsel Nominee Paul Ingrassia Withdraws Following Exposure of Controversial Texts About MLK and "Nazi Streak"

Paul Ingrassia, nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Office of Special Counsel, has withdrawn his candidacy after controversial text messages surfaced publicly, triggering significant backlash from Republican senators.

The withdrawal occurred just days before Ingrassia's scheduled confirmation hearing. Politico had reported on Monday about text messages where Ingrassia stated the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be "tossed into the seventh circle of hell" and described himself as having "a Nazi streak" at times.

Following these revelations, numerous Republican senators, including some of Trump's most loyal supporters, announced they would not back his nomination. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, a member of the confirmation committee, explicitly stated, "I'm a no. It never should have got this far."

Ingrassia announced his withdrawal in an online post, stating: "I will be withdrawing myself from Thursday's HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time. I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout the process and will continue to serve President Trump and the administration to Make America Great Again!"

The White House responded with a terse statement: "He is no longer the nominee." This came after Senate Majority Leader John Thune had expressed hope that the White House would withdraw the nomination.

While Republicans have generally supported Trump's nominees despite Democratic opposition, Ingrassia's case represents one of several instances where they have drawn a line. Other recent nomination withdrawals include Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, Ed Martin Jr. for top federal prosecutor in Washington D.C., and E.J. Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Democrats, however, consider Ingrassia's withdrawal insufficient. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Ingrassia to be fired from his current position as White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, stating: "This isn't anywhere near enough."

According to the texts viewed by Politico, Ingrassia had written that "MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his 'holiday' should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs." Ingrassia's lawyer suggested the messages might have been manipulated or lacked context, without confirming their authenticity.

The Office of Special Counsel, which Ingrassia was nominated to lead, is responsible for protecting government employees and whistleblowers from retaliation and enforcing the Hatch Act, which limits partisan political activities by government workers.

Trump had previously described Ingrassia as a "highly respected attorney, writer and Constitutional Scholar" in a May social media post.