President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel withdrew from his confirmation hearing after Republican senators said they wouldn't vote for him following reports that he sent a series of racist and antisemitic texts.

Paul Ingrassia said in a social media post that he is withdrawing from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing set for Oct. 23 "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 serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!" Ingrassia added.

In a rare split with Trump, several Republican senators said in recent days they wouldn't support Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel, an ethics division that protects federal workers from whistleblower retaliation.

The apparent no votes, according to their public statements, include Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, James Lankford of Oklahoma, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota also urged the White House on Oct. 20 not to move forward with Ingrassia's confirmation.

"He’s not going to pass," Thune told reporters, according to The Hill.

Who is Paul Ingrassia

Ingrassia, 30, is a lawyer and former podcaster who supported Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and has served in roles in the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security in Trump's second administration.

News outlet Politico reported this week that a text chat showed Ingrassia, a conservative lawyer and commentator, saying he had a "Nazi streak" and believed that the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday should be "tossed into the seventh circle of hell."

Ingrassia also called for an end to other holidays that celebrate Black culture in the United States, including Juneteenth and Black History Month, according to the report.

Ingrassia's attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, questioned the validity of the reported messages.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, called the messages "foul and disqualifying."

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump nominee Paul Ingrassia withdraws amid opposition from GOP over racist texts report

Reporting by Zac Anderson and Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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