Washington ( Europe Brief News) – President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would pull the nomination of Ed Martin as US Attorney in Washington, DC, amid heavy Republican dissent on Capitol Hill. Martin’s nomination had been under much criticism for controversial things that he had said and his past associations, and therefore lacked legs.
“He’s a terrific person, and he wasn’t getting the support from people that I thought,”
Trump told reporters at the White House.
“I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day, but we have somebody else who will be great,”
he added.
Republican Resistance Doomed Nomination
It is rare for congressional Republicans to reject Trump over a high-profile nominee. From Wednesday until Thursday, the White House publicly supported Martin, while Trump personally lobbied the senators to support him.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told CNN he had not heard any news of Trump’s decision before the announcement. “I have not been informed,” Grassley said.
The nomination started unravelling this week earlier when Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a decisive swing vote for the Judiciary Committee, told the White House he would not back Martin. Tillis mentioned issues regarding Martin’s opinions about the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and his previous criticism of law enforcement individuals who protected the building.
Tillis had met with Martin on Monday and later told CNN he had “serious questions” about the nomination. Martin, who previously represented January 6 defendants, had claimed in a 2024 podcast that two Capitol Police officers “appear to have lied” about their treatment during the riot.
Controversial Statements and Omissions
Martin’s nomination came under criticism from the very beginning because of his past media appearances and lack of full disclosure in his Senate filings. His first disclosure excluded almost 200 interviews, including parts of far-right outlets and Russian state media. He later made several amended filings to amend the record.
According to a CNN KFile review, Martin has been featured in at least 240 podcast, radio and television interviews in the last two years, most of which have not been disclosed in his initial disclosure.
His comments supporting Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a January 6 defendant accused of being pro-Nazi, were among the most damaging revelations. Martin had called Hale-Cusanelli “an extraordinary guy” and a “friend” in a July 2024 podcast episode, despite later distancing himself from him.
Martin also received criticism for failing to clearly denounce the violence on January 6 or validate that the 2020 election was not stolen. In the written reply to the Judiciary Committee, he refused to close the option of Trump’s presidency for a third term, which would be unconstitutional.
White House Initially Stood By Nominee
The controversies notwithstanding, the Trump administration had openly backed Martin as far back as Tuesday. White House spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer called him “the right man for the job” and said the administration was working to move the nomination forward.
Behind the scenes, though, it became evident that Martin did not have the votes necessary to progress. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) acknowledged Thursday that Republicans “didn’t have the votes” and called Trump’s decision to withdraw the nomination “probably a good decision, given all the concerns.”
Graham hinted that a new nominee would be announced soon, telling CNN, “Stay tuned. It’s going to be big.”
Martin’s Brief Tenure as Acting US Attorney
Martin has been acting as the U.S. attorney since his interim appointment earlier this year. During that time, he drew attention for referring to the office as “President Trump’s lawyers” and for demoting senior attorneys involved in prosecuting January 6 cases.
Officials in the Justice Department reportedly advised Martin of some of his public pronouncements, but concluded, ultimately, that he was the man Trump wanted. Sources said that while there were initial reservations, top DOJ leaders had been working towards helping secure his confirmation.
Allies of both Trump and Martin before his withdrawal had argued that the president was delighted with his performance. One source familiar with the nomination process told CNN, “Martin is President Trump’s favourite US Attorney.”
