Trump Nominee Paul Ingrassia Withdraws Amid Backlash Over "Nazi Streak" and Racist Remarks

Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, withdrew his nomination after a series of leaked text messages revealed racist and inflammatory statements, including an admission of having a "Nazi streak." The withdrawal followed widespread condemnation and a lack of support from several Republican senators, effectively dooming his confirmation.

The controThe controversy erupted after Politico published excerpts from a private text chain where Ingrassia, previously a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, made numerous disparaging comments. In one exchange, he reportedly stated, "I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it." Other remarks included a call for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to be "tossed into the seventh circle of hell" and the use of an Italian slur to describe Black people while advocating for the "evisceration" of holidays commemorating them.

Senator Scott Wiener, in a social media post, criticized the situation directly, stating, "Next time Trump claims to be fighting for Jews — spoiler alert: he doesn’t give a damn about Jews — remember that he keeps hiring Jew haters in his administration. The latest: Paul Ingrassia, the guy rejected by the Senate because he said he likes Nazism & racism." Ingrassia also reportedly wrote, "We need competent white men in positions of leadership. … The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal … We need to reject that part of our heritage."

Following the revelations, prominent Republican senators, including Majority Leader John Thune, Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, and James Lankford, publicly stated their opposition to Ingrassia's confirmation. This significant bipartisan resistance made his path to Senate approval impossible. Ingrassia announced his withdrawal via social media, citing insufficient Republican votes for his confirmation. His lawyer initially attempted to cast doubt on the messages' authenticity or characterize them as "satirical humor."