In a stunning political reversal, Paul Ingrassia, the man former President Donald Trump nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, announced late Tuesday that he is withdrawing from consideration after a wave of backlash over his racist text messages.
“I will be withdrawing from Thursday’s HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because, unfortunately, I do not currently have the Republican votes,” Ingrassia posted on X, referring to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “I deeply appreciate the tremendous support I’ve received and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!”
Ingrassia currently serves as Trump’s White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, where he was previously accused of sexual harassment — allegations he has denied.
According to messages reviewed by Politico, Ingrassia, a lawyer and pro-Trump blogger, once described Martin Luther King Jr. as “the George Floyd of the 1960s” and said his holiday “should end and be thrown into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.”
He also used racial slurs toward Black Americans, argued that Black holidays should be abolished, and even admitted, “I have Nazi blood in me.”
The Office of Special Counsel, which Trump nominated Ingrassia to lead, investigates discrimination complaints and federal employee misconduct, and enforces the Hatch Act — a law that bars government employees from engaging in partisan political activity, a rule the Trump administration has often been accused of violating.
Republican support for Ingrassia’s confirmation collapsed within 24 hours, as Senators Ron Johnson and Rick Scott publicly stated Monday that they would not vote to confirm him following the revelations.
Beyond his attacks on Black Americans, Ingrassia reportedly wrote in 2024: “Never trust the Chinese or the Indians.”
Ironically, just one day later, Trump celebrated Diwali in the Oval Office alongside prominent Indian Americans, including Kash Patel, his former national security aide and FBI adviser.
Bạn có muốn mình viết thêm phiên bản ngắn gọn kiểu “headline + tóm tắt 3 dòng đầu để đăng Facebook hoặc YouTube community” không? (kiểu “Breaking: Trump’s ethics nominee quits after racist text leak shocks GOP”)
