Donald Trump has appointed a vocal advocate for Jan. 6 Capitol rioters with ties to a Nazi sympathizer to a Justice Department role overseeing extremism and pardons.
The announcement came just hours after Trump said he would pull his nomination of Ed Martin to be US attorney for Washington. A key Republican lawmaker, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said he would not vote to confirm Martin over his defense of Jan. 6 rioters.
Martin had also faced revelations that his ties to Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a Nazi-sympathizing participant in the Jan. 6 riot were closer than the nominee had previously described — including under oath in the Senate.
Understanding that Martin was not likely to be confirmed, Trump announced late Thursday that Martin would instead remain a deputy attorney general and become “the new Director of the Weaponization Working Group, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Pardon Attorney.”
In the role, Martin will “make sure we finally investigate the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime, and provide much needed Justice for its victims,” Trump, who has frequently referred to the Jan. 6 rioters as victims of political persecution and as ‘hostages,” wrote on his social network Truth Social.
At the White House Thursday, Trump praised Martin as “a terrific person” but acknowledged that “he wasn’t getting the support.” He added, “I have to be straight. I was disappointed.”
Apology for past praise of January 6 rioter
Martin recently apologized for his past vocal praise of Hale-Cusanelli, who was sentenced to four years in prison for his role on Jan. 6 before being pardoned by Trump along with virtually all other Jan. 6 defendants.
A Navy contractor and ex-Army reservist, Hale-Cusanelli sported a Hitler-like mustache and joked online about killing and eating Jews.
As part of Martin’s advocacy for Jan. 6 defendants, he presented Hale-Cusanelli with an “Eagle Award” during an event held at a Trump golf club last year, where he also called the rioter “extraordinary.” He also interviewed him multiple times on his own podcast.
Martin claimed that, at the time, he had not been aware of the extent of Hale-Cusanelli’s views, which he now called “abhorrent and deplorable.” But reviews of Martin’s media output revealed that he had, in fact, asked Hale-Cusanelli about court reports that he’d shown up to work at a naval weapons station saying, “Hitler should have finished the job,” along with multiple other podcast interviews and interactions.
Eleven mostly liberal and progressive American Jewish groups, including the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the National Council of Jewish Women, called for a public confirmation hearing for Martin in order to better question him on his ties to antisemites. Democrats including Sen. Dick Durbin also cited Martin’s connection to Hale-Cusanilli from the Senate floor in efforts to tank his nomination.
Martin had been serving in the DC prosecutor post on an interim basis — one of the most significant and influential US prosecutor positions — while he waited for Senate confirmation. During that time he has punished or demoted staff who had worked on Jan. 6 prosecutions.
A conservative activist who had no experience as a judge or federal prosecutor prior to his appointment, Martin also has a history of orchestrating attacks on federal judges. He proved his Trump bonafides by organizing “Stop the Steal” rallies challenging the results of the 2020 election Trump lost. He has also compared former President Joe Biden to Adolf Hitler and, once assuming his interim post, referred to himself and federal prosecutors as “the president’s lawyers.”
Tillis, in a rare GOP break with Trump, said he would oppose Martin’s nomination in the Senate Judiciary Committee, emphasizing that he objected to Martin’s backing of individuals involved in Jan. 6. His “no” vote would deadlock the committee’s recommendation and was seen as a precursor for other “no” votes from more moderate Republican senators if it advanced to the full floor.
Trump has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to replace Martin as interim US attorney for Washington.
