Bipartisan Opposition Mounts Against Trump's Office of Special Counsel Nominee Over Racist Texts

President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, faces widespread criticism and calls for withdrawal of his nomination after racist and antisemitic text messages surfaced. Ingrassia reportedly described Martin Luther King Jr. Day as deserving to be "tossed into the seventh circle of hell," expressed distrust of Asians and Indians, and admitted to having a "Nazi streak." Prominent Democrats including Rep. Jamie Raskin, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and other Congressional leaders have demanded Trump withdraw the nomination and remove Ingrassia from his current government role, citing these messages and previous allegations of sexual harassment. Some Republican senators, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have also voiced opposition, putting the nomination in jeopardy. Ingrassia's attorney questioned the authenticity of the messages, but the controversy has prompted a Senate hearing and threatens his confirmation to the watchdog role responsible for protecting whistleblowers and enforcing ethics laws.