By now, we’ve seen more than a few unfiltered, mask-off moments from young Republican operatives. But the latest leaked chat logs, obtained and verified by Politico, push the envelope past mere “controversial.” Paul Ingrassia—Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel—told a group of Republican insiders that he has “a Nazi streak.” That alone should be disqualifying. But it doesn’t stop there.
The 30-year-old attorney, already under fire for an earlier sexual harassment allegation (which the accuser later withdrew), is now neck-deep in a trove of bigoted, white nationalist, and outright racist messages. And yes, his Senate confirmation hearing is still on for Thursday.
In one of the more shocking messages from the group chat, Ingrassia unloaded on civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., writing: “MLK Jr. was the 1960s George Floyd and his ‘holiday’ should be ended and tossed into the seventh circle of hell where it belongs.”
Another participant responded bluntly: “Jesus Christ.”
That wasn’t just a one-off. Ingrassia, using an Italian-American slur for Black people, wrote: “No moulignon holidays … From kwanza [sic] to mlk jr day to black history month to Juneteenth … Every single one needs to be eviscerated.”
According to Politico, the messages were reviewed in full and linked to Ingrassia’s verified phone number. At least one participant in the chat confirmed the remarks, expressing concern that “the government should be staffed with experienced people who are taken seriously.”
The texts paint a picture of a man leaning into the very ideology critics have long accused Trumpism of harboring. In May 2024, after being accused by another group member of sounding like a Nazi, Ingrassia responded:
“I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time, I will admit it.”
Later, when someone joked about a future show featuring white nationalist Nick Fuentes, saying: “New LFA show coming starring Nick Fuentes & Paul Adolf Ingrassia.”
Ingrassia replied: “Lmao.”
If it were a joke, it landed flat. Several participants pushed back. One warned him, “You’re gunna be in private practice one day this shit will be around forever brother.”
White Nazi Playbook
Ingrassia didn’t hide his worldview. At one point, he declared: “We should celebrate white men and western civilization and I will never back down from that.”
He also said: “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.”
When criticized for sounding like a white nationalist, Ingrassia doubled down. “They did [build the country],” he wrote.
The fixation on race wasn’t limited to Black Americans. In another text about GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Ingrassia wrote: “Never trust a chinaman or Indian. NEVER.”
He also echoed Trump’s infamous language on Africa, writing: “Blacks behave that way because that’s their natural state … You can’t change them.” He added: “Proof: all of Africa is a shithole, and will always be that way.”
Throughout the group chat, Ingrassia was repeatedly warned to tone down his rhetoric. It didn’t work.
After being called out for sounding like a white nationalist, Ingrassia shrugged it off.
“Nah it’s fine … Don’t be a boomer … I don’t mind being a scumbag from time to time,” he replied.
His texts show someone who was not just reckless, but proudly so. At one point, he wrote: “I said we’re making kwanza illegal in the next Trump admin … That was the gist of my tweet.”
According to Politico’s sources, the Paul Ingrassia of a few years ago was just another law student with political ambitions. Somewhere along the way, that changed.
“He was too young and too inexperienced to deal with the fame,” one former associate said. “It was like giving an 18-year-old $10 million and saying, ‘Have at it, kid.’”
The leaked chat ended in May 2024 after several participants had enough. One exited the thread with a parting shot: “There are enemies in this group. Please take my name out of this thread.”
Ingrassia’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, initially brushed off the texts as “self-deprecating and satirical humor” and said the leaks “make fun of the fact that liberals outlandishly and routinely call MAGA supporters ‘Nazis.’” Later, he pivoted, claiming the texts might not be authentic at all.
“What is certain,” Paltzik said, “is that there are individuals who cloak themselves in anonymity while executing their underhanded personal agendas to harm Mr. Ingrassia at all costs.”
But the messages are verified. The phone number belongs to Ingrassia. Politico cross-checked the content with at least two people who were in the chat. The defense doesn’t hold water.
Despite the avalanche of vile remarks, Ingrassia is still Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel—a role tasked with protecting federal whistleblowers and investigating workplace discrimination.
Yes, you read that right.
That nomination heads to the Senate this Thursday. Let’s see who shows up.
