President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he was pulling his nominee to be the next U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin.
“He’s a terrific person, and he wasn’t getting the support from people that I thought,” Trump told reporters in the White House‘s Oval Office after announcing a trade deal with the United Kingdom.
Trump added that Martin has “done a very good job” in an acting capacity since his inauguration.
“Crime is down 25% in D.C. during his period of time,” he said. “I’m very disappointed in that, but I have so many different things that I’m doing now with the trade. You know, one person I can only make, I can only lift that little phone so many times in a day.”
Martin’s nomination has been in doubt since Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Trump earlier this week that he could not vote to advance him over his support for Jan. 6 Capitol riot defendants.
“I have no tolerance for anybody that entered the building on Jan. 6, and that’s probably where most of the friction was,” Tillis said.
Martin’s nomination presented deep consternation for key Republicans on the Senate Judiciary panel tasked with advancing him to the full chamber. Other controversies from Martin included legally defending Capitol rioters, praising an alleged Nazi sympathizer, and referring to himself as “Trump’s lawyer.”
However, Tillis was the lone GOP senator to publicly oppose Martin in what was the latest test for his relationship with Trump as he seeks reelection in battleground North Carolina.
Martin was the second nominee to be pulled in as many days after Trump replaced Dr. Janette Nesheiwat as his surgeon general pick with Casey Means, an ally of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Republican senators appeared unsurprised by Trump’s decision to withdraw Martin after it became clear the embattled nominee lacked the necessary support.
“From public statements, it appeared he didn’t have the votes in committee, so I understand why the president made that decision,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who was among those previously noncommittal on Martin, told the Washington Examiner.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), another Judiciary Committee member, said he was “anxious” to learn of Trump’s new nominee for the powerful federal prosecutor position.
THOM TILLIS TESTS TRUMP RELATIONSHIP WITH ED MARTIN DUSTUP
“I don’t have thoughts about Mr. Martin one way or the other,” Kennedy said. “He never was put on the agenda, and I don’t generally focus on issues until it’s time.”
Martin is serving in an interim capacity that ends May 20. Unless a nominee is confirmed, the 24 judges on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia could name a replacement, prompting fears among Republicans of a less conservative alternative who might undermine Trump’s agenda in one of the most high-profile U.S. attorney districts.
