Donald Trump pick Paul Ingrassia withdraws, had sent racist ‘never trust Indian’ text for Vivek Ramaswamy

Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, withdrew his nomination Tuesday, a day after Politico reported that he had sent racist and inflammatory messages in a group chat, including one in which he wrote about former Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, “Never trust a chinaman or Indian” and then added: “NEVER”.

The 30-year-old lawyer, who continues to serve as White House liaison to the Department of Homeland Security, was scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) on Thursday. But growing opposition from Republican senators doomed his bid.

“I will be withdrawing myself 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 on Truth Social and X.

“I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout this process and will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!”

A White House official confirmed, “He’s no longer being nominated.”

Politico reported Monday that Ingrassia made a number of offensive remarks in a text chain with fellow Republicans and said he had a “Nazi streak”, according to the messages.

In one exchange, he called civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. “the 1960s George Floyd” and said his “holiday should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs”.

Using an Italian slur for Black people, Ingrassia wrote in December 2023, “No moulignon holidays…From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth. Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”

His lawyer did not confirm the authenticity of the texts, saying they “could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted”.

The uproar over the messages sparked immediate backlash on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Monday that he hoped the White House would withdraw the nomination, saying “he’s not gonna pass”. When asked on Tuesday if it would be a mistake for Ingrassia to appear before the committee, Thune laughed and replied, “Yeah”.

At least three other Republicans, Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and James Lankford of Oklahoma, also said they would oppose Ingrassia’s confirmation.

“I’m not supporting him,” Scott said before his appearance at the hearing was pulled. “I can’t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country. It’s wrong.” Johnson said, “I’m a no. It never should have got this far.”

Ingrassia’s nomination had already faced hurdles after earlier scrutiny over ties to Holocaust-denying extremist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate. His initial confirmation hearing in July was indefinitely delayed before being rescheduled last week.

The controversy deepened after Politico previously reported that Ingrassia had been investigated for his conduct toward a lower-ranking female colleague during a work trip.

The probe focused on allegations that he had a woman’s hotel room cancelled so she would have to stay in his room. The woman, also a Trump appointee, initially protested but later relented to avoid causing a scene, according to three administration officials.

Ingrassia’s attorney denied wrongdoing, saying no last-minute hotel changes occurred and that Ingrassia did not engage in sexual harassment or misbehaviour.

The woman filed a human resources complaint, later retracting it out of fear of retaliation. Still, five administration officials told Politico she said Ingrassia’s behaviour made her uncomfortable and hurt her ability to do her job.

The fallout consumed top ranks of the DHS and added to concerns about his fitness to lead the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency that handles whistleblower complaints and enforces the Hatch Act.

As his confirmation collapsed, Ingrassia sent a letter on Tuesday to Republican members of the Homeland Security Committee calling Politico’s stories “hit pieces designed to sabotage my nomination and damage my reputation”.

He wrote, “I have no recollection of these alleged chat leaks, and do not concede their authenticity. Those who personally know me know that I am not anti-Semitic or racist, and that I have taken strong initiatives as White House Liaison at DHS to advance Jewish and pro-Israel causes.”

Sen. Rand Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, told Politico’s “The Conversation” that while Trump “heard the rumblings” about Republican discomfort with Ingrassia, senators were hesitant to confront the White House directly. “If they’re gonna vote ‘no’, they need to man up,” Paul said, “and they need to tell the president”.

After the messages became public, that courage materialised, and by Tuesday evening, Ingrassia’s nomination was effectively over.

Democrats, however, said his withdrawal wasn’t enough. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on social media that President Trump should fire Ingrassia from his current DHS post, calling the move “nowhere near enough.”

Trump had previously described Ingrassia in a May post as a “highly respected attorney, writer and Constitutional Scholar.”

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