Trump Abandons Ed Martin's Nomination for DC U.S. Attorney

President Donald Trump announced he will withdraw Ed Martin's nomination for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia due to insufficient Senate support, particularly from key Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who opposed Martin over his defense of January 6 rioters. Martin, a conservative activist and interim U.S. attorney with no prosecutorial experience, faced criticism for his partisanship, including overseeing firings of Jan. 6 prosecutors and demoting others. Despite Trump's efforts, including lobbying and public endorsements, Martin's nomination was blocked amid concerns about his ties to far-right figures and his handling of Capitol attack cases. Trump praised Martin as a 'terrific' and 'unbelievable' person and expressed hope to find him another role within the Department of Justice. The president indicated a new nominee would be announced soon to fill the top federal prosecutor role in D.C. This development marks a rare Senate refusal during Trump's administration, which had previously seen most of his controversial nominees confirmed.