Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Calling On President Trump To Withdraw His Nomination Of Paul Ingrassia Due To Past Hateful Comments

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor calling on Donald Trump to withdraw his nomination of Paul Ingrassia to head the Office of Special Counsel, citing his hateful and Nazi rhetoric. Leader Schumer also noted the alarming and growing trend of similar rhetoric amongst younger members of the Republican party. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Yesterday, for the second week in a row, we got a disturbing report about a young Republican operative celebrating Nazi ideology and racist garbage when they think no one’s listening. This is what they really think, and they continue to be appointed in positions of power by Donald Trump.

Last week, it was thousands of pages of texts from prominent members of Young Republicans from New York, Vermont, Arizona, and other states. Well, this week, it’s Mr. Paul Ingrassia, a presidential nominee for a very important office, the Office of Special Counsel. His nomination is scheduled to come up before the Homeland Security Committee this week.

Mr. Ingrassia’s texts, if authentic, are appalling and point to a really disturbed individual. Let me read just a few of the disgusting texts from Mr. Ingrassia.

“I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit.”

“MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.”

“All of Africa is a s-hole, and will always be that way,” though he didn’t just say “s-hole.”

These are texts from a presidential nominee. Did they vet them? And if they vetted them and know these things, they shrug their shoulders and say that’s okay. These texts are foul and disqualifying. And it’s hard to believe there is any process in any White House that would allow such a man through to be nominated.

This person does not merit confirmation by this body. And I am glad a number of our Republican colleagues have said so. That is good and necessary. So, to state the most obvious thing in the world, the president should pull the nomination of Mr. Ingrassia today, before his big celebratory lunch. Mr. Ingrassia is not going to pass through this chamber.

And I want to be very clear about something else: these texts that have surfaced over the last couple weeks are not a laughing matter. Some of these Republicans wink at each other and say, “isn’t that funny?” “Won’t that gall people?” “Isn’t that fun?” This is not a laughing matter. These texts are dangerous.

And I hope I am wrong, but we are now seeing what seems to be a pattern of young Republican operatives perfectly at ease with spreading or endorsing explicitly Nazi propaganda and racist views. These people aren’t random online trolls or just “college kids.” They are party operatives and, in the case of Mr. Ingrassia, a nominee to serve in the administration, in a very important position, handpicked by the president of the United States.

These are the people who one day will likely hold senior positions within government or the Republican party, and here they are calling themselves Nazis and endorsing outright racist views. Is there any vetting? Do they care? It’s incredible, just incredible, that this happens over and over again. It makes you wonder – how many Trump nominees or GOP operatives have said similar things, but have never been exposed? It’s a chilling thought, but now that this has happened on multiple occasions, it can’t be outright dismissed.

Again, the president should pull the Ingrassia nomination. He should be fired from his current job within the administration. And he should never hold a position of leadership within the Republican Party or the government ever again.

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