Trump pick to lead watchdog agency withdraws after text messages revealed : NPR

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's pick to head a federal watchdog agency was pulled from consideration Tuesday night after his offensive text messages were made public and GOP senators revolted.

Paul Ingrassia, who was named head of the Office of Special Counsel, was scheduled to have a confirmation hearing this week.

But on Monday, Politico reported a text chat in which he said the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “thrown into the seventh circle of hell.” Ingrassia also described himself in the chat as having “Nazi tendencies” at times.

After the texts became known, several Republican senators said they would not support his candidacy. They included some of Trump's most conservative and staunch allies in the Senate.

“I am withdrawing from Thursday’s HSGAC hearing to lead the Office of Special Counsel because, unfortunately, I do not have enough Republican votes at this time,” Ingrassia wrote in an online post. “I appreciate the tremendous support I have received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and the administration to Make America Great Again!” HSGAC is the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Asked to comment on Ingrassia's withdrawal of his name from consideration, the White House responded simply: “He is no longer a candidate.” But Ingrassia's post came after Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hoped the White House would withdraw Ingrassia's nomination and several Republican senators said they would not support him.

“I'm against it,” said Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who sits on the committee that would consider Ingrassia's nomination. “It should never have gone this far.”

Republicans were able to defeat the vast majority of Trump's nominees in roll call votes, despite stiff opposition from Democrats. But there have been isolated instances where Republicans have resisted, mostly behind the scenes, showing that their support is limited.

Most notably, Matt Gaetz withdrew from being Trump's first choice for attorney general shortly after he was nominated to the position. In May, Trump withdrew his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to become the top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital, succumbing to bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist's limited legal experience and support for the Jan. 6 rioters.

Last month, the White House announced it would withdraw EJ Anthony's nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Anthony was to succeed the BLS director, who was fired after a disappointing employment report.

But Democrats were not satisfied with Ingrassia's departure: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the president to fire him from his current position as White House spokesman at the Department of Homeland Security.

“This is not enough,” Schumer said on social media.

According to texts reviewed by Politico, Ingrassia told chat participants that “MLK Jr. was the George Floyd of the 1960s and his 'celebration' should be stopped and thrown into the seventh circle of hell where he belongs.”

Politico spoke with Ingrassia's lawyer, who said the text messages may have been manipulated or lacked context. The lawyer did not confirm the authenticity of the texts.

The Office of the Special Counsel is an investigative and prosecutorial agency dedicated to protecting government officials and whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing. He is also responsible for enforcing the Hatch Act, which limits partisan political activity by government employees.

In May, Trump described Ingrassia in a social media post as a “highly respected lawyer, writer and constitutional scholar.”