Updated on 10/22/2025 @ 11:20 a.m. Paul Ingrassia officially withdrew his nomination after announcing he didn’t have “enough Republican votes at this time.”
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Yet another one of President Donald Trump‘s allies has been thrown into the fire after alleged racist texts were made public. Paul Ingrassia is the president’s nominee to head the Office of Special Counsel. But after this scandal, politicians on both sides of the aisle are urging Trump to pull his offer.
Ingrassia’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday (Oct. 23). The 30-year-old MAGA loyalist has served as the White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security in Trump’s administration, but that’s pretty much where his experience stops. Leading up to his confirmation, Democrats expressed concerns that Ingrassia isn’t qualified to lead the special government agency… but when has that ever stopped a Trump nominee?
Now, however, even Republicans are pumping the breaks after POLITICO exposed alleged texts between Ingrassia and a group of other Republicans, where he spewed all kinds of racism. Most notably, the nominee took issue with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and other significant Black holidays.
“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 texted in January 2024. It’s unclear what prompted this embolden message, but one participant was clearly shocked by the racist thread.
“Jesus Christ,” the unidentified member responded… But that’s not all.
Ingrassia, who is of Italian descent, went on to use an Italian slur to further attack Black people. “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth,” he continued. “Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
To take things to the lowest of levels, Ingrassia then added, “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.” POLITICO reportedly spoke to several of the other participants, who all remembered Ingrassia’s texts.
“We need competent white men in positions of leadership … The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal,” the Trump ally continued. “We need to reject that part of our heritage.”
In response, Miss. Rep. Bennie Thompson and Calif. Rep. Robert Garcia penned a letter to the president demanding Ingrassia’s nomination be withdrawn. “Mr. Ingrassia’s misconduct renders his continued employment as a White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dangerous for women, and his proposed promotion to serve as Special Counsel demeans the office and is insulting to the American people,” they said.
Several Republicans like Fla. Sen. Rick Scott said they will oppose Ingrassia’s confirmation, according to the New York Times. S.D. Sen. John Thune, a Trump foe turned ally, even told reporters, “I do not support him.”
While members of Congress are taking the matter seriously, Ingrassia’s lawyer claimed these texts aren’t authentic. Even if they were, he said, “they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis.’” The attonery continued to POLITICO, “Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi.”
The president has not responded to the scandal.
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