Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) urged President Donald Trump to drop his nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel after inflammatory remarks he allegedly made in a group chat were leaked to the press.
Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, was accused of making several provocative remarks in a group chat with fellow Republicans, including denigrating Martin Luther King Jr. and saying that he had a “Nazi streak,” in a disputed context. In response, Thune and several Senate Republicans called on the president to recall Ingrassia, saying he wouldn’t be approved.
“He’s not gonna pass,” Thune told reporters, Politico reported.
Ingrassia is scheduled to testify in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday.
Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and James Lankford (R-OK) also came out against the nominee.
“I’m not supporting him,” Scott said. “I can’t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country. It’s wrong.”
“I have tons of questions for him,” Lankford said, adding he “can’t imagine supporting that.”
The loss of the leader of Senate Republicans will be difficult to overcome, especially as Ingrassia can only lose a handful of Republican votes.
Ingrassia’s future was put into question after several alleged inflammatory messages were leaked to Politico, most coming from discussions throughout 2024 in group chats with Republican operatives. Among the alleged remarks were a few in which he denigrated King and several 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,” one message read.
“No moulignon holidays … From kwanza to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth,” he allegedly said in another, using an Italian slur for black people. “Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
A message provided by one leaker showed Ingrassia allegedly saying, “Blacks behave that way because that’s their natural state … You can’t change them,” during a discussion around why some Republicans believe Democrats make black people into victims.
Perhaps the most controversial was one where he responded to a participant mocking him, saying he “belongs in the Hitler Youth with Ubergruppenfuhrer Steve Bannon,” to which he responded, “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.”
Only one of the two leakers who spoke with Politico could recall the context, claiming it wasn’t a joke, and an argument ensued. Ingrassia’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, argued that all the messages could have been edited or taken out of context, but alluded to the “Nazi streak” comment specifically in suggesting it was self-deprecating humor.
“Looks like these texts could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted. However, arguendo, 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 to the outlet.
“In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi,” he added.
In a subsequent statement a few days later, Paltzik was more explicit in questioning the authenticity of the messages.
“In this age of AI, authentication of allegedly leaked messages, which could be outright falsehoods, doctored, or manipulated, or lacking critical context, is extremely difficult,” he said. “What is certain, though, is that there are individuals who cloak themselves in anonymity while executing their underhanded personal agendas to harm Mr. Ingrassia at all costs. We do not concede the authenticity of any of these purported messages.”
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The group chat was leaked a week after Politico leaked a group chat of around a dozen Young Republican leaders making racist and inflammatory remarks. Several of those exposed have since resigned or been fired.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Ingrassia for comment.
