The top Republican in the Senate broke with the White House after a Trump nominee’s alleged racist and antisemitic texts were leaked.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hopes the White House withdraws Paul Ingrassia’s nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel after Politico unearthed the disturbing text messages in a bombshell report.
“He’s not gonna pass,” Thune told reporters on Monday, with only days to go before Ingrassia’s Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.
Assuming all Democrats vote against his nomination, Ingrassia can only afford to lose three Republicans—and it looks like he’s already on the rocks.
Republican Senators Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, and James Lankford have all signaled that they will oppose Ingrassia’s nomination.
“I have tons of questions for him when he comes on Thursday, but I can’t imagine supporting that,” Lankford said.
“I’m not supporting him,” Scott told Politico. “I can’t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country. It’s wrong.”
“The administration ought to just pull that nomination. I hope that happens,” Johnson said in an interview with HuffPost.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Ingrassia, 30, drew outrage after Politico revealed a series of racist and antisemitic texts he allegedly sent to a group chat with Republican operatives and influencers.
“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 allegedly wrote in January 2024.
“I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it,” he said in another.
Ingrassia also is accused of telling the group chat to “never trust a chinaman or Indian” and used the term “moulignon,” an Italian-American racial slur referring to Black people.
“I said were making kwanza illegal in the next Trump admin,” he allegedly wrote. “No moulignon holidays From kwanza to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth.”
After a member of the group chat called him out for his “white nationalist” tone, Ingrassia responded: “Nah it’s fine… Don’t be a boomer… I don’t mind being a scumbag from time to time.”
Ingrassia’s lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik slammed the Politico story as a “defamatory” hit piece and a “vexatious political attack.”
Earlier this month, Politico also reported that Ingrassia was investigated for allegedly sexually harassing a lower-ranking female colleague during a work trip in July. Paltzik denied any inappropriate behavior.
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