Trump nominee withdraws nomination after report of Nazi texts

A candidate to head an independent US federal agency tasked with protecting whistleblowers, who came under fire after a report of pro-Nazi posts, withdrew his nomination on Tuesday after realizing he did not have the needed support.

Paul Ingrassia, who had been nominated for the post by US President Donald Trump, announced on X that he was withdrawing from the Senate confirmation hearing for the position, which had been scheduled for this Thursday. "Unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time," Ingrassia stated.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and at least three other Republicans have signalled they would not vote for him, according to US media reports.

The portal Politico reported on Monday that Ingrassia had said in a chat group with young Republicans that he has a "Nazi streak."

He also texted that the Black civil rights leader Martin Luther King and his "'holiday' should be ended and tossed in the seventh circle of hell where it belongs," according to a Politico report.

Politico said a White House official told them that Ingrassia is "no longer being nominated."

Ingrassia was originally supposed to lead the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency that protects whistleblowers in public service.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, had called on Trump to withdraw the nomination following the publication of the report. He described Ingrassia's remarks as "dangerous."

"He should be fired from his current job within the administration, and he should never, never hold a position of leadership within the Republican Party or the government again."