President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead a federal watchdog agency withdrew from consideration Tuesday after a series of racist and inflammatory text messages attributed to him became public, prompting a backlash from Senate Republicans.
Paul Ingrassia, nominated to head the Office of Special Counsel, had been scheduled to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee later this week. But his confirmation bid unraveled after Politico reported on messages in which he described the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as belonging in “the seventh circle of hell” and referred to himself as having “a Nazi streak.”
“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 wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday evening. “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.”
Why It Matters
The withdrawal marks a rare instance of open resistance from Senate Republicans, who have largely advanced Trump’s nominees despite fierce Democratic opposition. Occasionally, though, GOP senators have balked at controversial appointments.
Earlier this year, Matt Gaetz withdrew as Trump’s choice for attorney general after criticism of his lack of experience, and in May the president pulled his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia amid bipartisan concerns. Last month, the White House also dropped E.J. Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics following scrutiny over his comments about government data.
What To Know
According to Politico, Ingrassia’s text messages included statements such as, “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.” His attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, declined to confirm the authenticity of the messages, claiming they “might have been manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted.”
The Ingrassia revelations quickly drew condemnation from both Democrats and several of Trump’s closest Republican allies, who said they could not support the nomination.
The White House did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters earlier Tuesday that he hoped the White House would withdraw Ingrassia’s nomination before the committee vote.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal agency responsible for protecting whistleblowers and investigating retaliation against government employees who report misconduct. It also enforces the Hatch Act, which limits the political activities of federal workers.
Trump had praised Ingrassia in May as a “highly respected attorney, writer and Constitutional Scholar.” But by Tuesday night, his nomination had collapsed under the weight of his own words — and a rare public revolt from within his own party.
What People Are Saying
Carl Tobias, Professor at University of Richmond School of Law, told Newsweek via email, “Ingrassia really had no choice, because it became clear that a number of GOP senators had serious reservations about his nomination, so the hearing would have been extremely difficult, the committee was unlikely to approve his nomination, and numerous senators were sufficiently negative about his prospects that the nominee could not have won confirmation.
Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida, to reporters on Monday: “I’m not supporting him. I can’t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country. It’s wrong.”
Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, also to reporters on Monday: “I have tons of questions for him,” adding that he “can’t imagine supporting that.”
Paltzik told Politico: “Even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis.’ In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi.
“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.”
What Happens Next
Trump will now have to select a new nominee for Office of Special Counsel, which will then face Senate confirmation.
Updates: 10/21/25, 8:03 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 10/21/25, 8:17 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
