{"id":17205,"date":"2025-12-30T12:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T12:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/the-turbulent-trajectory-of-trumps-nazi-streak-acolyte\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T12:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T12:02:10","slug":"the-turbulent-trajectory-of-trumps-nazi-streak-acolyte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/the-turbulent-trajectory-of-trumps-nazi-streak-acolyte\/","title":{"rendered":"The turbulent trajectory of Trump\u2019s \u2018Nazi streak\u2019 acolyte"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

A conservative activist who had caught Donald Trump\u2019s attention with flattery via Substack ahead of the 2024 presidential election\u00a0<\/b>imagined a prominent role for himself in a future administration.<\/p>\n

In a group chat with half a dozen Republican operatives and influencers, Paul Ingrassia in October 2023 texted: \u201cTrump needs me as his chief of staff,\u201d according to a screenshot obtained by Blue Light News.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingrassia, then in his late 20s, had only graduated from Cornell Law School the year before and had yet to be admitted to the New York Bar.<\/p>\n

The coveted job, of course, went to veteran political operator Susie Wiles, who typically shies from the limelight.<\/p>\n

But Ingrassia had gained confidence about his potential path to the White House after his Substack columns, which included arguments that Trump would defeat Ron DeSantis in the primary, caught the then-candidate\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n

Trump responded with handwritten notes and Ingrassia posted them on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat seeing you at Bedminster \u2014 young and handsome,\u201d Trump wrote to Ingrassia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another note, also posted on the social media site in the summer of 2023, read: \u201cPaul, Great seeing you \u2014 the man behind the great writings \u2014 you are looking good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingrassia, 30, would eventually land a series of administration jobs, though not as the president\u2019s top aide. He\u2019s now known in Washington for withdrawing from a Senate confirmation process to lead a federal whistleblower agency after a POLITICO report<\/a> in October revealed racist comments Ingrassia made in the same group chat where he mused about being chief of staff.<\/p>\n

Ingrassia and his lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, did not respond to requests for comment for this article. In October, Paltzik did not confirm the texts were authentic, saying they could be manipulated and were provided without proper context.<\/p>\n

The GOP-led rejection of Ingrassia\u2019s nomination was a rare break between the administration and a largely compliant Congress. It didn\u2019t result in his ouster. Instead, Ingrassia got an invitation to meet Trump at the White House and another administration post \u2014 this time at the General Services Administration that manages federal buildings, IT services and government procurement.<\/p>\n

Alan Jacoby, the founder of Patriot Cigar Company who met Ingrassia through New York Republican circles several years ago, said Ingrassia\u2019s goal before Trump was reelected was to get a position in the administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t always agree when it comes to political issues even though we\u2019re both conservatives. However, his support for President Trump is unmatched,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Ingrassia\u2019s almost Trumpian survival demonstrates how ideological affinity and personal loyalty can outweigh all other considerations in this administration. And while top officials in the Republican Party and White House have split between denouncing bigoted language exhibited by officials like Ingrassia \u2014 who said he has a \u201cNazi streak\u201d according to the texts \u2014 and forming a defensive line around supporters, the messages don\u2019t appear to have hurt his official standing.<\/p>\n

GSA spokesperson Marianne Copenhaver hailed Ingrassia\u2019s \u201coutstanding service\u201d in a statement about his new role<\/a> as GSA\u2019s deputy general counsel just weeks after GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said he wouldn\u2019t support<\/a> his nomination to lead the Office of Special Counsel because he didn\u2019t understand \u201chow anybody can be antisemitic in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

The schism remains at the heart of an unsettled question about MAGA\u2019s future and whether a Trump-style successor can emerge when others who\u2019ve deployed a similarly bombastic and divisive approach to leadership have failed. Where many young Republican staffers lost government or party positions when inflammatory texts were made public in a different POLITICO investigation<\/a> involving a separate text chain this year, Ingrassia got another senior administration post. In that sense he\u2019s like Trump himself, who only gained more staying power during everything from the Access Hollywood video to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.<\/p>\n

For this article about Ingrassia\u2019s journey from a once-obscure MAGA acolyte to a Trump world fixture, Blue Light News spoke to more than two dozen administration officials, senators, Capitol Hill staffers and others who know Ingrassia. Blue Light News also reviewed contemporaneous messages of former law school classmates and fellow conservative influencers. Many of the people were granted anonymity to speak candidly about Ingrassia because of retaliation concerns or because they weren\u2019t authorized to speak publicly. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Law school controversy<\/h5>\n

Ingrassia\u2019s time in the administration has echoes of his law school experience.<\/p>\n

He had trouble fitting into his cohort at Cornell Law, three former classmates told Blue Light News, describing him as a quiet and closely guarded person.<\/p>\n

But Ingrassia did draw attention \u2014 if unwanted \u2014 during his time at Cornell. In the wake of the 2020 election, while classes were partially virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a classmate shared with other students a screenshot of a Twitter post by Ingrassia\u2019s mother repeating claims that Trump was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election, according to two of the former classmates.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a little change of pace, here\u2019s Paul\u2019s batshit crazy mom,\u201d the classmate who posted the screenshot wrote in a GroupMe chat for the entire Cornell Law class of 2022, according to the two classmates in the chat. The post was swiftly deleted.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing some sage counsel here and issuing an unqualified apology. We obviously have some strong disagreements, but \u2018your mom is batshit crazy\u2019 is obviously well over the line and it\u2019s incredibly unfortunate that I posted it here. My bad,\u201d the classmate wrote a short time later, according to a copy of the message.<\/p>\n

Reached for comment by Blue Light News, Ingrassia\u2019s mother, Donna Gallo Ingrassia, a Long Island real estate broker, defended standing up for what she believes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a family who stands up for what we believe in even if it is against the popular viewpoint,\u201d she said in an email. \u201cWe fought for my daughter\u2019s former classmate Gabby Petito [who was killed in Wyoming in 2021], fought against vaccine and mask mandates, we fought against the steal of 2020 and we campaigned hard for President Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

A rocky entry<\/h5>\n

Years later, Ingrassia had the backing of his mother who trekked to the Hill<\/a> to confront Democratic lawmakers who criticized her son\u2019s nomination. \u201cObviously, I am going to advocate for my kids,\u201d she told Blue Light News. \u201cPeople who do not \u2018go along to get along\u2019 are usually called \u2018crazy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Ingrassia\u2019s bond with Trump only strengthened after those handwritten notes Ingrassia posted on X in 2023. In time, he would call himself \u201cTrump\u2019s favorite writer\u201d after Trump reposted more than 100 of his Substack articles.<\/p>\n

So when Trump took office a second time, Ingrassia was poised to thrive. He landed a position as White House liaison to the Justice Department. While most incoming Trump appointees were partying at balls on the night of Trump\u2019s inauguration, Ingrassia spent more than an hour inside the D.C. Central Detention Facility.<\/p>\n

He emerged to announce that two people<\/a> who had pled guilty to assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol were being released after receiving pardons from the president.<\/p>\n

It is \u201ca monumental moment in our history,\u201d Ingrassia told reporters.<\/p>\n

But Ingrassia\u2019s time at DOJ quickly went downhill.<\/p>\n

Inside the department, he clashed with then-DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle after Ingrassia reportedly complained<\/a> to the president that Mizelle was not working to advance his agenda. DOJ and Mizelle declined to comment.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t help Ingrassia that he lacked a relationship with Attorney General Pam Bondi, according to a DOJ official. That official added that Ingrassia did not generally know anyone in the department.<\/p>\n

The official said he believes Ingrassia was a \u201cDay 1\u201d person sent by the White House, as the new administration placed loyalists across the government. The official added that people in the department knew Trump had done social media posts on Ingrassia\u2019s writings.<\/p>\n

The connection wasn\u2019t enough. A month after he arrived at Justice, he was reassigned to the Department of Homeland Security. But his time there was even rockier.<\/p>\n

Ingrassia seemed to want to build a rapport with colleagues, frequently attending DHS and administration happy hours to network, according to two people who saw him at the events. Despite his brashness on social media, Ingrassia was reserved in social settings, said the two people.<\/p>\n

The scandals<\/h5>\n

But Ingrassia quickly encountered problems at DHS. In July, he took a work trip to Florida where he shared a Ritz-Carlton hotel room with a female colleague. An internal investigation ensued. The attorney for Ingrassia and a DHS spokesperson said the investigation into him ended and cleared him. His attorney denied wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

Ingrassia sued Blue Light News for defamation in Warren County, Virginia, in October after Blue Light News reported on the Florida trip.<\/p>\n

Ingrassia faced additional scrutiny over the summer after Trump nominated him in May to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates complaints from federal whistleblowers.<\/p>\n

A day after the nomination, NPR reported<\/a> that Ingrassia had called far-right influencer Andrew Tate an \u201cextraordinary man\u201d and \u201cthe embodiment of the ancient ideal of excellence.\u201d Before joining the administration Ingrassia worked at a law firm Tate hired. Tate, who has been an advocate for \u201cHolocaust revisionism,\u201d has faced rape and human trafficking charges. He has denied the charges, which are pending.<\/p>\n

On Capitol Hill, staffers on the Senate Homeland Security Committee started looking into Ingrassia\u2019s background. Three Democratic Senate aides said in an interview<\/a> that a staff vetting session on July 21 went poorly for Ingrassia. They said they were troubled he didn\u2019t provide his full biographical information and that he pushed back when asked about the omission of numerous posts, podcasts, interviews and deleted writings.<\/p>\n

Several staffers from Republican offices also asked tough questions of Ingrassia. Among them were his views on the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, which he had called<\/a> \u201canother psyop to distract Americans from celebrating Columbus Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just before Ingrassia was set to testify on July 24, his appearance was postponed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis big thing for our state is, he\u2019s had some statements about antisemitism,\u201d Scott, a member of the committee, said at the time.<\/p>\n

In August, Ingrassia also lost a key ally at the White House. Sergio Gor, another controversial Trump aide who had been serving as presidential personnel director, was nominated to serve as ambassador to India in a shakeup. Gor, who had drawn the personal antipathy of Elon Musk<\/a> for trying to wrest back control of agencies after a heated March Cabinet meeting, worked closely with Ingrassia and supported his nomination, according to three administration officials. His departure deprived Ingrassia of an influential defender.<\/p>\n

Replacing Gor was Dan Scavino, a White House deputy chief of staff and one of Trump\u2019s closest aides, with whom Ingrassia was not as close, according to two of the administration officials.<\/p>\n

Ingrassia still had other defenders in the West Wing, including Trump aide Natalie Harp, according to two administration officials. Harp is known as Trump\u2019s \u201chuman printer<\/a>\u201d because she prints out articles for him to read, including many of Ingrassia\u2019s Substack pieces.<\/p>\n

\u201cNatalie Harp in the White House is a big advocate of Paul\u2019s,\u201d one of the officials said.<\/p>\n

Gor and Harp were natural allies. Like Ingrassia, they rose to their positions thanks to their fierce loyalty to Trump. Like Ingrassia, they lacked establishment bona fides. Like Trump, they protected their own.<\/p>\n

Gor, Scavino and Harp did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Two months after Gor\u2019s August nomination, Ingrassia was scheduled to appear before the homeland security panel for a Senate confirmation hearing that was supposed to take place on a Thursday. He was in a \u201cmurder board\u201d prep session on the preceding Monday afternoon to prepare for the expected avalanche of questions about his background and controversies, according to four administration officials.<\/p>\n

But that same afternoon, Blue Light News published its<\/a> article on his inflammatory texts. The reporting revealed that on a January 2024 text chain with Republican operatives and influencers, Ingrassia said the MLK Jr. holiday should be \u201ctossed in the seventh circle of hell\u201d and that Juneteenth and Kwanza \u201cshould also be canceled,\u201d according to the chat. Paltzik, Ingrassia\u2019s lawyer, said at the time that even if they were authentic, they were meant to be self-deprecating and satirical.<\/p>\n

The reaction was swift. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters<\/a> he hoped the White House would withdraw the nomination and that Ingrassia couldn\u2019t pass.<\/p>\n

Hours later, Ingrassia posted on X<\/a> that he was withdrawing his nomination \u201cbecause unfortunately I do not have enough Republican votes at this time.\u201d He said he was grateful for the \u201coverwhelming support\u201d he received during the process \u201cand will continue to serve President Trump and this administration to Make America Great Again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Even people close to the White House with knowledge of how staffers felt about Ingrassia said the revelations of the text messages were not a surprise given his association to extremists like Tate and white nationalist Nick Fuentes.<\/p>\n

But since nominations are ultimately chosen by Trump, West Wing staffers back candidates until it becomes evident there are simply not enough votes to confirm them, according to two people who were involved in the process.<\/p>\n

Some White House staffers were ultimately \u201crelieved\u201d that he withdrew his nomination, said the first person close to the administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe writing was on the wall early on, and I think the recent changes at [the White House Presidential Personnel Office] allow this nomination to finally die,\u201d the first person added, noting that there was \u201cthe onslaught of accusations and many people [questioned] his qualifications to begin with\u201d when Trump tapped him.<\/p>\n

Even if staffers aren\u2019t fully on board with everyone Trump chooses, the first person said, the feeling is \u201clet\u2019s have the process work itself out\u201d and \u201cbe loyal to the pick but be realistic and move on when needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot sure anyone is like heartbroken,\u201d the second person added. \u201cIt was never expected that it would go through, at least I never did.\u201d<\/p>\n

One reason he has kept a job is because Trump rewards his personal champions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul\u2019s been a steadfast supporter of President Trump and a leader in the America First movement,\u201d said Caroline Wren, a Republican strategist who served as a liaison<\/a> between the Trump White House and participants in the Jan. 6 rally preceding the Capitol riot.<\/p>\n

More trouble ahead?<\/h5>\n

Already there are questions about Ingrassia\u2019s credentials at GSA, where he quickly moved from deputy general counsel to acting general counsel in a few weeks. An announcement<\/a> about his elevation to a position that oversees more than 100 attorneys cites his key role in swiftly filling the DOJ and DHS with trusted political appointees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we? A halfway house for bigots who can\u2019t find jobs anywhere else in this administration?\u201d a GSA official said. Ingrassia\u2019s predecessor at GSA, Russell \u201cRusty\u201d McGranahan, had a three-decade career at top firms, including BlackRock and White & Case. He recently became a senior adviser to the Securities and Exchange Commission.<\/p>\n

\u201cRusty was well qualified and served the administration well. I just want the government to be staffed with experienced people who are taken seriously,\u201d the official added.<\/p>\n

Another person familiar with the internal workings of GSA said that Ingrassia \u201cbasically won\u2019t be given anything meaningful because [agency] leadership doesn\u2019t really want him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what he is or is not, but no one cares for him,\u201d the person added.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, six Senate Democrats sent a letter<\/a> to the White House and the GSA calling Ingrassia\u2019s continued employment in the federal government \u201cunacceptable,\u201d citing Blue Light News\u2019s reporting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Democrats clearly understand that Paul is a very intelligent, strong supporter of President Trump, which is why they want him out,\u201d Ingrassia\u2019s mother said.<\/p>\n

Copenhaver, the GSA spokesperson, said that Ingrassia has a bright future at the agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaul Ingrassia is a well-regarded attorney who has provided outstanding service to President Trump and will continue to do so as GSA\u2019s acting general counsel,\u201d Copenhaver said. \u201cThe GSA has complete confidence in his ability to further both its mission and the president\u2019s priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A conservative activist who had caught Donald Trump\u2019s attention with flattery via Substack ahead of the 2024 presidential election\u00a0imagined a prominent role for himself in a future administration. In a group chat with half a dozen Republican operatives and influencers, Paul Ingrassia in October 2023 texted: \u201cTrump needs me as his chief of staff,\u201d according […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-congress"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17205\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}