Trump nominee withdraws over anti-Asian, pro-Nazi remarks

Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), withdrew from consideration earlier this week following allegations of racist text messages such as “Never trust a chinaman or Indian” and a declaration that he has “a Nazi streak.”

Catch up: Trump nominated Ingrassia in May to run the agency responsible for investigating federal employee whistleblower complaints and workplace discrimination. Ingrassia, 30, is an attorney who previously hosted far-right podcasts and backed attempts to reverse the 2020 election outcome. Even before the racist texts surfaced, he already faced questions about a sexual harassment investigation at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he serves as White House liaison. The employee who filed the complaint later withdrew it.

The nomination collapsed after Politico published a 2024 text exchange among Republican operatives on Monday. In it, Ingrassia allegedly targeted Indian American then-presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, writing “Never trust a chinaman or Indian” followed by the word “NEVER” in all caps. In the same message chain, he allegedly attacked the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, stating it “should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.” He also purportedly used an Italian racial slur while calling for the elimination of celebrations honoring Black culture. When other Republicans in the conversation accused him of expressing “white nationalist” views, Ingrassia allegedly wrote, “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.”

A rare backlash: Senate Majority Leader John Thune took the unusual step of publicly opposing Ingrassia’s nomination on Monday, telling reporters “he’s not going to pass.” This marks a striking departure from the typical deference shown by the Republican-led Senate toward Trump’s appointees. Three additional GOP senators announced they would vote against confirmation: Rick Scott of Florida, James Lankford of Oklahoma and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Referring to Ingrassia’s other alleged problematic remarks, Scott stated, “I can’t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country.” Meanwhile, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Ingrassia’s messages “foul and disqualifying.”

The response stood in sharp contrast to Vice President JD Vance’s reaction when Young Republican leaders’ racist messages surfaced last week. Vance dismissed those slurs as “edgy, offensive jokes” from “kids,” despite the individuals being adults in their 20s and 30s working in government. The split between Senate Republicans blocking Ingrassia and Vance defending comparable language underscores the inconsistent standards for addressing bigotry among GOP leaders.

Why this matters: The Republican senators’ willingness to reject Ingrassia highlights a rare instance of Trump facing internal party resistance during his second term. More specifically, it suggests at least some limits remain on the type of rhetoric that will draw consequences within the party.

In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Ingrassia withdrew himself from his scheduled Thursday confirmation hearing, citing insufficient GOP support. He said he lacked enough votes while expressing gratitude and vowing to keep working for Trump. Meanwhile, his lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik declined to authenticate the messages and suggested they “could be manipulated” or represented “self-deprecating and satirical humor.”

The Ingrassia situation came a week after Politico also revealed the Young Republicans group chat containing more than 250 slurs directed at Asian, Black, Jewish and LGBTQ individuals. The messages included references to Chinese Americans as “chinks” and mockery of Indian Americans’ hygiene. Together, these exchanges suggest evidence of the discriminatory atmosphere that Asian American communities face but that political figures often downplay.

For now, Ingrassia remains in his current position as White House liaison to the DHS.