Break It Down!
Paul Ingrassia is a name you’ve probably never heard. Yet, despite his relative anonymity, Mr. Ingrassia was comfortably on his way to being confirmed by the Senate to lead the Office of Special Counsel. In a world in which Donald gets who and what Donald wants, it was a virtual foregone conclusion that the wunderkind would soar through the hearing leading to confirmation by the Senate Homeland Security Committee. At least it seemed that way until it didn’t.
Notwithstanding Ingrassia’s seeming fast track appointment as the next hard core Trump supporter, with little in the way of qualifications for his prospective new role, in the background, questions were being asked; an air of scrutiny was emerging. According to a report in Politico, Ingrassia allegedly sent racist and antisemitic texts in a group chat of other Republicans.
After last week’s Young Republican fiasco, the less than stout response, and lack of genuine concern conveyed by top Republicans, up to and including the Vice President, Party leaders apparently recognized that on this issue anyway, while Trump may be impervious to all manner of behavior, they may not be so scandal resistant. A couple of Paul’s spicier ruminations were:
Conceding that he has “a Nazi streak” and asserting that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be “tossed into the seventh circle of hell,”
Edward Andrew Paltzik, Ingrassia’s attorney, questioned the authenticity of the messages. However, he qualified that argument by adding, that, in the event they were authentic, Ingrassia made them satirically. What? You can’t prove he said it. Oh yeah, but if he said it, he didn’t mean it. Get the …. outta here!
Mr. Palzik added:
“Looks like these texts could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted. However, even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and satirical humor making fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters “Nazis.”
I guess “satire” is the new GOP Go-To/Get Out of Jail Free Card. Vice President Vance used the term to excuse the actions of the Young Republicans chat group. If the last two weeks are any indication, “satire” is gonna carry a lot of GOP weight going forward, for Republican bad behavior.
Palzik didn’t directly address Ingrassia’s racist commentary, but he did make an effort to mollify the Jewish community. He went on to say:
“In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi. There are those who cloak themselves in anonymity while executing their underhanded personal agendas to harm Mr. Ingrassia at all costs. We do not concede the authenticity of any of these purported messages.” He may have had Jewish support. But, the more Jews learned about Ingrassia’s alleged comments, especially the antisemitic ones, the more that support waned.
Ingrassia was admitted to the bar last summer. He served a White House internship during Trump’s first term. This year, he worked as a White House liaison to the Justice Department before reportedly being pushed out and reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security.
Paul’s appointment would have marked a sharp departure from previous heads of the Office of Special Counsel, a role that has historically been politically independent and designed to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Instead of a long record of managerial or prosecutorial experience, like those who previously held the job, Ingrassia brought a fervent loyalty to Trump and a lengthy record of inflammatory statements.
CNN has reported that Ingrassia has a history of racist invective, conspiratorial rants, and an affinity for a well-known White nationalist and Holocaust denier. He has promoted conspiracy theories and made tweets from his podcast that included calls for martial law following Trump’s 2020 election loss. His comments have included harsh anti-Israel rhetoric aimed at the GOP. Mr. Ingrassia argued publicly that “straight White men” are the most intelligent demographic group and should be prioritized in education. Gasp! It’s almost as though he called for affirmative action/DEI for White men. Oh my!
Last night, Ingrassia posted that he was withdrawing himself from Thursday’s scheduled confirmation hearing. In his words, it was:
“Because unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time.” He also said he appreciated the “overwhelming support” he received and that he “will continue to serve President Trump and his administration to Make America Great Again.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and FL Senator Rick Scott both said earlier they would not be supporting the nomination. Given Thune and Scott withholding their votes, and presuming all Democrats would vote against the nomination, his chances for winning confirmation were eliminated. And that’s how we get to, “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t!”
I’m done; holla back!
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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/21/politics/paul-ingrassia-withdraw-hearing
BREAK IT DOWN! 