(José Niño, Headline USA) Paul Ingrassia, President Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, is facing new controversy after a series of leaked text messages revealed he made racist remarks and described himself as having “a Nazi streak,” according to messages viewed by POLITICO.
Ingrassia had to withdraw from his Senate confirmation hearing that was originally slated for this Thursday as pressure continued mounting from this controversy.
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.
I appreciate the overwhelming support that I have received throughout this process and will continue to…
— Paul Ingrassia (@PaulIngrassia) October 21, 2025
Ingrassia exchanged the messages in a private chat with several Republican operatives and influencers. In January 2024, he wrote, “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.” One participant responded, “Jesus Christ.”
A month earlier, he reportedly used an Italian slur for Black people and wrote, “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth. Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
POLITICO verified that the phone number in the chat belonged to Ingrassia. Two people in the group confirmed the authenticity of the discussion, one of whom retained the entire exchange and provided it to the outlet.
Ingrassia’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, claimed the texts were “self-deprecating and satirical humor” mocking how “liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis.’” He added, “In reality, Mr. Ingrassia has incredible support from the Jewish community because Jews know that Mr. Ingrassia is the furthest thing from a Nazi.”
In a later statement, Paltzik said, “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. We do not concede the authenticity of any of these purported messages.”
In another exchange, when a participant joked that “Paul belongs in the Hitler Youth with Ubergruppenfuhrer Steve Bannon,” Ingrassia replied, “I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.” One participant said the remark “was not taken as a joke.”
The controversy comes as Ingrassia’s nomination faces headwinds. Earlier this year, POLITICO reported he was investigated at the Department of Homeland Security after a sexual harassment complaint, later withdrawn, was filed against him. Republican senators also delayed his confirmation hearing, citing “some statements about antisemitism.”
In January 2024, Ingrassia wrote of former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, “Never trust a chinaman or Indian … NEVER.” Discussing racial behavior, he added, “Blacks behave that way because that’s their natural state … Proof: all of Africa is a shithole, and will always be that way.”
During a discussion about a Trump staffer working on minority outreach, Ingrassia said she should “read a book (if she’s able to) on George Washington and America’s founding.” When another participant told him, “You are coming across as a white nationalist,” Ingrassia replied, “They did,” when challenged for saying “whites built the country.”
He followed up by posting portraits of the Founding Fathers and writing, “We should celebrate white men and western civilization and I will never back down from that.” Later, he added, “We need competent white men in positions of leadership. … The founding fathers were wrong that all men are created equal … We need to reject that part of our heritage.”
Ingrassia has echoed similar sentiments publicly. In March 2023, he said education should elevate “young men, straight White men,” and in December 2023 wrote on X: “Exceptional white men are not only the builders of Western civilization but are the ones most capable of appreciating the fruits of our heritage.”
A former associate in the chat said Ingrassia had transformed from a “young law student interested in conservative politics” into an “extreme ego-driven” Trump loyalist after working with Andrew Tate’s legal team and appearing on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast. The group disbanded shortly after the May 2024 exchange, with one participant writing, “There are enemies in this group. Please take my name out of this thread.”
Ingrassia’s recent controversy echoed a previous scandal involving a racially-charged group chat leak within the Young Republican ranks, previously detailed by Headline USA.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
