Trump Special Counsel Nominee Ingrassia Withdraws Amid Republican Opposition

Paul Ingrassia, President Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, has withdrawn his nomination due to insufficient Republican support in the Senate. This decision followed revelations of controversial text messages in which Ingrassia allegedly made disparaging remarks about Martin Luther King Jr. and joked about having a 'Nazi streak,' prompting opposition from multiple Republican senators including Josh Hawley and Rick Scott. Senator John Thune suggested the White House should have withdrawn the nomination earlier, acknowledging that Ingrassia was unlikely to be confirmed. Despite the withdrawal, Ingrassia expressed his commitment to continue serving President Trump and the administration. The withdrawal marks a rare instance in which multiple Republican senators opposed a Trump nominee. The scheduled Senate committee hearing was canceled following this development.