President Donald Trump’s nominee to head up the Office of Special Counsel has withdrawn himself from consideration following Republican backlash to texts where he allegedly admitted having “a Nazi streak.”
Paul Ingrassia conceded that he did not have enough Republican support for his nomination ahead of a confirmation hearing in front of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that was scheduled for Thursday.
“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,” Ingrassia said in a post on X Tuesday evening.
“I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!” he added.
The 30-year-old, who is currently the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, was tapped by Trump to lead the independent agency that investigates federal whistleblower complaints, along with discrimination allegations.
Ingrassia’s decision to withdraw swiftly followed a Politico report, alleging in January 2024 he said that Martin Luther King Jr Day “should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.”
In addition, Ingrassia allegedly called for holidays that traditionally honor Black people to be “eviscerated” in a Republican chat group.
Key GOP senators were vocal about opposing Ingrassia’s nomination after the report emerged Monday.
“He’s not going to pass,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters ahead of Ingrassia’s impending hearing, while fellow Republican senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida and James Lankford of Oklahoma also made their opposition to the nomination known, Semafor reported.
Ingrassia’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, suggested the messages were jokes to target liberals and also questioned their authenticity.
“In this age of AI, authentication of allegedly leaked messages, which could be outright falsehoods, doctored, or manipulated, or lacking critical context, is extremely difficult,” Paltzik said in a statement to Politico. “What is certain, though, is that there are individuals who cloak themselves in anonymity while executing their underhanded personal agendas to harm Mr. Ingrassia at all costs. We do not concede the authenticity of any of these purported messages.”
Ingrassia’s nomination was considered doomed even before the latest allegations.
The former right-wing podcaster and attorney “bombed” a July meeting with the Homeland Security Committee staff, according to Axios, and has a history of making inflammatory remarks.
He has previously called for January 6 to be declared a national holiday to honor “peaceful protest,” and has been linked to far-right figures, including white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
Ingrassia previously called the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel “another psyop to distract Americans from celebrating Columbus Day.”
In July, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said that Ingrassia was “not ready for prime time.”
“It's January 6th, it's a number of other things. So, I think he's one of these people that's checked all the boxes and they're all the wrong boxes,” Tillis told NBC, but added Ingrassia had “plenty of time to learn.”
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