{"id":2501250,"date":"2025-10-20T22:01:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-urges-trump-to-drop-nominee-over-alleged-racist-messages\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T22:03:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:03:13","slug":"thune-urges-trump-to-drop-nominee-over-alleged-racist-messages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thune-urges-trump-to-drop-nominee-over-alleged-racist-messages\/","title":{"rendered":"Thune urges Trump to drop nominee over alleged racist messages"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthune-urges-trump-to-drop-nominee-over-alleged-racist-messages%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2501250&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senate majority Leader John Thune urged President donald Trump to withdraw his nominee, Paul Ingrassia, from consideration to lead the Office of Special Counsel after inflammatory and racist remarks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/school-board-member-claims-to-be-victim-of-homophobic-vandalism-no-one-will-provide-the-police-report\/\" title=\"School Board Member Claims To Be Victim Of Homophobic Vandalism. No One Will Provide The Police Report.\">allegedly made<\/a> by Ingrassia in Republican group chats were leaked. the leaked messages included derogatory comments about Martin Luther King Jr., Black holidays, and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/resurfaced-video-shows-biden-making-racially-charged-comments\/\" title=\"WATCH: In Disgustingly Racist Rant, Biden Tells ... They Are Destroying The Country And That White People Should Be In Charge\">racially charged statements<\/a>, as well as a controversial admission of having a &#8220;Nazi streak,&#8221; which Ingrassia&#8217;s lawyer claimed was self-deprecating humor taken out of context or possibly manipulated. Several Republican senators, including Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, and James Lankford, expressed opposition to Ingrassia&#8217;s nomination, suggesting he would not be confirmed. Ingrassia was scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee amid growing calls for the president to recall the nomination. The leaks come in the wake of similar revelations involving young Republican leaders that led to resignations and firings.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Thune urges Trump to drop nominee who allegedly made racist remarks in leaked chat<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2378122\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-thune\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) urged President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a> to drop his nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel after inflammatory remarks he allegedly made in a group chat were leaked to the press.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, Paul Ingrassia, was accused of making several provocative remarks in a group chat with fellow Republicans, including denigrating Martin Luther King Jr. and saying that he had a &ldquo;Nazi streak,&rdquo; in a disputed context. In response, Thune and several Senate Republicans called on the president to recall Ingrassia, saying he wouldn&rsquo;t be approved.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3857669\/thune-house-gop-return-pass-funding-bill\/\">Thune says House GOP should return to pass new funding bill<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3857230\/senate-staffers-miss-first-paycheck-hundreds-seek-loans-government-shutdown\/\">Senate staffers to miss first paycheck as hundreds seek shutdown relief loans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3856696\/democrats-november-1-deal-open-government-before-healthcare-open-enrollment-period\/\">Next government shutdown off-ramp opportunity could be Nov. 1<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not gonna pass,&rdquo; Thune told reporters, <em>Politico<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/live-updates\/2025\/10\/20\/congress\/ingrassia-thune-republicans-00616010\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ingrassia is scheduled to testify in front of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Ingrassia, who has been selected by President Donald Trump to lead the Office of Special Counsel, arrives before Trump speaks during a summer soiree on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and James Lankford (R-OK) also came out against the nominee.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not supporting him,&rdquo; Scott said. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t imagine how anybody can be antisemitic in this country. It&rsquo;s wrong.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have tons of questions for him,&rdquo; Lankford said, adding he &ldquo;can&rsquo;t imagine supporting that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The loss of the leader of Senate Republicans will be difficult to overcome, especially as Ingrassia can only lose a handful of Republican votes.<\/p>\n<p>Ingrassia&rsquo;s future was put into question after several alleged inflammatory messages were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/10\/20\/paul-ingrassia-racist-text-messages-nazi-00613608?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7-gNfneXjdqC91WnDl-eVzq3tk_NblqsSoP5GoTRFfwa9pqYdFdbjngVq6Sw_aem_lksl4IIHa7f0KaCP7TVoDA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leaked to<\/a> <em>Politico<\/em>, most coming from discussions throughout 2024 in group chats with Republican operatives. Among the alleged remarks were a few in which he denigrated King and several black holidays.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his &lsquo;holiday&rsquo; should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs,&rdquo; one message read.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;No moulignon holidays &hellip; From kwanza to mlk jr day to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/d-c-public-schools-use-black-lives-matter-curricula-to-teach-black-history-month\/\" title=\"D.C. Public Schools Use Black Lives Matter Curricula To Teach Black History Month\">black history month<\/a> to Juneteenth,&rdquo; he allegedly said in another, using an Italian slur for black people. &ldquo;Every single one needs to be eviscerated.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A message provided by one leaker showed Ingrassia allegedly saying, &ldquo;Blacks behave that way because that&rsquo;s their natural state &hellip; You can&rsquo;t change them,&rdquo; during a discussion around why some Republicans believe Democrats make black people into victims.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most controversial was one where he responded to a participant mocking him, saying he &ldquo;belongs in the Hitler Youth with Ubergruppenfuhrer Steve Bannon,&rdquo; to which he responded, &ldquo;I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Only one of the two leakers who spoke with <em>Politico<\/em> could recall the context, claiming it wasn&rsquo;t a joke, and an argument ensued. Ingrassia&rsquo;s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, argued that all the messages could have been edited or taken out of context, but alluded to the &ldquo;Nazi streak&rdquo; comment specifically in suggesting it was self-deprecating humor.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Looks like these texts could be manipulated or are being provided with material context omitted. However, arguendo, even if the texts are authentic, they clearly read as self-deprecating and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >satirical humor making fun<\/a> of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters &lsquo;Nazis,&rsquo;&rdquo; he wrote in a statement to the outlet.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>In a subsequent statement a few days later, Paltzik was more explicit in questioning the authenticity of the messages.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In this age of AI, authentication of allegedly leaked messages, which could be outright falsehoods, doctored, or manipulated, or lacking critical context, is extremely difficult,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;What is certain, though, is that there are individuals 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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3854669\/trump-teases-australian-ambassador-past-comments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRUMP TEASES AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR OVER PAST COMMENTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The group chat was leaked a week after <em>Politico<\/em> leaked a group chat of around a dozen Young Republican leaders making racist and inflammatory remarks. Several of those exposed have since resigned or been fired.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Ingrassia for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thune urges Trump to drop nominee over racist chat remarks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2653,"featured_media":2501251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25155853017692.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4904,23610,3634],"class_list":["post-2501250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-nominee","tag-thune","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25155853017692.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2653"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2501250"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2501254,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501250\/revisions\/2501254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2501251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2501250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2501250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2501250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}