In Rare Defeat, Trump Pulls Controversial Nominee's Name

The controversial interim US attorney for DC will not get to remain in the powerful post. President Trump on Thursday pulled the nomination of Ed Martin when the opposition of a GOP senator made it clear he would not be confirmed, reports the New York Times. The 55-year-old Martin is a staunch supporter of Trump, and outlets were coming up with different ways to express how staunch. The Times went with "hyperpartisan," the Washington Post went with "ardent Trump loyalist," and Axios used "attack dog" and "fire breathing conservative podcaster."

Martin's robust defense of those who took part in the 2021 Capitol riot appears to have doomed his chances. "I have no tolerance for anybody who entered the building on Jan. 6," GOP Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters this week. His opposition meant that Martin did not have the numbers to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Times notes that Martin's ties to Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, "who has dressed up like Adolf Hitler, sketched cartoons 'depicting Jewish people as pigs' and once declared that he 'would kill all the Jews and eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner,'" didn't help his chances.

In announcing his decision, Trump praised Martin—who was also a "Stop the Steal" organizer—and said he would find another place for him in the administration. As interim US attorney for DC, Martin has been aggressive on behalf of Trump, firing those linked to special counsel Jack Smith's investigation of the president, as well as Jan. 6 prosecutors, notes the Post. (More President Trump stories.)