The Trump administration thought it had finally put out a recent fire when it confirmed the withdrawal of a controversial nominee accused of sending vile racist messages. But what was meant to look like accountability quickly turned into another embarrassment.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for a top federal ethics post is out, but not gone and both lawmakers and critics want to know why.
Paul Ingrassia, who was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel — an independent agency tasked with protecting federal employees from retaliation and enforcing ethics laws — announced Tuesday that he was withdrawing from consideration after it became clear he lacked enough Republican support to be confirmed.
Politico first published the horrendous texts from January of 2024 that Ingrassia wrote in a group chat with a half-dozen Republican operatives and influencers, including a message saying the annual Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell” and another in which he described himself as having “a Nazi streak.”
“MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs,” Ingrassia wrote.
In a text in December of 2023, he used an Italian slur for black people writing, ““No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth,” then added, “Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
After the messages were made public, several Republican senators — including some of Trump’s most loyal allies — said they could not vote to confirm him.
“I’m a no,” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who sits on the committee overseeing the nomination, told reporters. “It never should have got this far.”
Ingrassia’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, claimed his client’s comments were “self-deprecating humor” and accused critics of “manipulating” the texts to make him look worse.
But few were buying it.
Social media erupted as screenshots spread across platforms.
“Another nominee goes down over racism? That’s not bad luck, that’s culture. Trump’s team doesn’t attract controversy, it manufactures it,” one X user wrote.
Another added, “Unbelievable! Trump’s cabinet is dropping like flies! Can’t blame them for not wanting to be associated with this chaos. #TrumpExposed”
The administration quietly confirmed the withdrawal on Tuesday evening, telling reporters only, “He is no longer the nominee.” But that wasn’t enough to quell the backlash.
And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wasn’t let the Trump admin slide.
He said the withdrawal wasn’t enough and demanded Trump also fire Ingrassia from his current position as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security.
“This isn’t anywhere near enough,” Schumer said on social media. “He should never hold a position of leadership within the Republican Party or the government ever again.”
Schumer’s call set off another wave of anger online, as users discovered that despite his withdrawal, Ingrassia still holds a high-level White House post.
“NOTE: Ingrassia still works at the White House as liaison to Homeland Security. Still very bad,” political analyst Dr. Digipol wrote in a viral post.
Ingrassia’s attorney insist his client is “the furthest thing from a Nazi” even claiming the text may have been manipulated to make his client look bad.
“Looks like these texts could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted. However, 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,’” he wrote in a statement.
But the reporting described a disturbing pattern. In another text Ingrassia joked that a colleague had a “Hitler Youth streak” — before admitting, “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time.”
Many online questioned how long this behavior will be tolerated.
“How long are we going to keep pretending that the fascist Trump regime is not a cabal of Nazis? Texts from Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, reveal vile pro-Nazi and racist messages targeting Black people, Chinese people, and Indian people,” X user Bill Madden posted.
“What will be the play for JD Vance to dismiss this? He was a kid. It was satire. The Dems hate America. Maybe some combination of all three?,” asked a user.
And this one said the quiet part out loud, “Imagine what hasn’t been leaked.” As another user called it “Trump’s America” with an image of the White House east wing destruction.
“It’s just too crazy at this point,” said another.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune made it clear to reporters Monday that Trump should have pulled Ingrassia’s nomination after GOP members said they wouldn’t vote for him. Republican staffers reportedly quietly urged the White House to pull the plug before the hearing became a spectacle.
“He’s not going to pass,” Thune said, according to The Hill.
By Tuesday evening, Ingrassia posted his own statement:
“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.”
