Trump Nominee Ingrassia Withdraws Amid GOP Backlash Over Racist, Nazi Remarks

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, withdrew his candidacy after the emergence of offensive text messages in which he admitted to having a "Nazi streak" and disparaged Martin Luther King Jr. Day, calling for its abolition. The messages, published by Politico, also included racist language and calls to "eviscerate" holidays honoring Black people, provoking backlash from Republican senators who publicly opposed his confirmation. Key GOP figures, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, indicated the nomination would not pass, leading Ingrassia to concede he lacked sufficient Republican support ahead of a scheduled confirmation hearing. Ingrassia's lawyer characterized the messages as "taken out of context" and suggested they were satirical jokes targeting liberals, while also questioning their authenticity amidst concerns about AI-generated content. Despite initial support from some quarters, the controversy highlighted limits to Republican backing for Trump's nominees when faced with extreme or offensive views. Ingrassia pledged to continue serving the Trump administration despite withdrawing from the nomination process.