At least four Republican senators, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have opposed Paul Ingrassia’s nomination as president of the Office of Special Counsel. The opposition comes after a report revealed that Ingrassia had sent racist text messages, which include referring to a federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. as being in “the seventh circle of hell.” Four Republican senators’ opposition would be enough to block the nomination if all senators were present and the entire Democratic caucus voted against him.
Ingrassia, 30, is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday. The New York Times could not verify the authenticity of the text messages, but a lawyer for Ingrassia claimed they might have been manipulated or lack context. This controversy adds to the already swirling debate around Ingrassia’s qualifications and President Trump’s attempts to influence the Office of Special Counsel.
Ingrassia has faced criticism before, including for hosting a far-right podcast with his sister and pushing a fake theory that Nikki Haley was ineligible to run for president during the 2024 Republican primary. His past associations also include representing Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist facing rape charges overseas.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/paul-ingrassia-trump-senate.html