Paul Ingrassia, US President Donald Trump’s pick to head the White House Office of Special Counsel, reportedly had a “Nazi streak,” something that will very likely affect his chances for the post.
After Politico last week exposed a Young Republicans Telegram group teeming with racist jokes, the publication on Monday reported on a series of racist texts by Ingrassia, which understandably shook political circles in the US.
According to Politico, which obtained access to Ingrassia’s entire text thread, the Republican lawyer and political commentator has disparaged people of color on several occasions.
“Never trust a Chinese or an Indian (sic),” was one of the texts Ingrassia sent in 2024 in an apparent reference to then-presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
In another January 2024 exchange, Ingrassia wrote, “MLK Jr. was the George Floyd of the 1960s and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and thrown into the seventh circle of hell where he belongs (sic),” following an earlier text in which he said, “No moulignon holidays… From Kwanza to mlk jr day to June every single month must be until June 1. (sic).”
Perhaps Ingrassia’s most egregious admission came in response to a discussion about Trump’s staff, where the Republican wrote, “Sometimes I have a nazi streak in me, I’ll admit it (sic),” prompting a dismissive attitude from other members who were part of the chat.
‘I don’t support him’
Ingrassia’s Senate hearing is scheduled for this Thursday, but it’s unclear if it will move forward given the latest revelations about the U.S. attorney.
When Ingrassia’s views came to light, Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida directly condemned the Trump nominee, saying, “I don’t support him. I can’t imagine how anyone in this country can be anti-Semitic. It’s wrong.”
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin also shares a similar view: HuffPost reported that Johnson, who is on a Senate committee, is calling for Ingrassia’s name to be pulled in light of the recent revelations.
Meanwhile, the office of Republican Sen. Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland, forwarded comments to the White House regarding the latest revelations about Ingrassia.
The White House has not yet commented.
(This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.)
