WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would pull his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation鈥檚 capital, bowing to bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist's modest legal experience and divisive politics.
Trump abandoned his pick to lead the nation's largest U.S. Attorney's office two days after a said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defense of rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
鈥淗e's a terrific person, and he wasn't getting the support from people that I thought,鈥� Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the status of Martin鈥檚 confirmation. He later added: 鈥淏ut we have somebody else that will be great,鈥� indicating the announcement will be made in the next two days.
Trump said he still wants to bring Martin into the administration, whether at the Justice Department or elsewhere, and signaled that he had little capacity to call on-the-fence senators to lobby them: 鈥淚 can only lift that little phone so many times in a day.鈥�
Within minutes of Trump's announcement, Martin jokingly posted a of himself on social media dressed in papal garments with the words, 鈥淧lot twist鈥� 鈥� alluding to the breaking news that a to lead the Catholic Church.
A spokesperson for Martin didn鈥檛 immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Martin has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trump鈥檚 first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background, including his support for Jan. 6 rioters.
Martin has stirred up a chorus of critics during his brief but tumultuous tenure in office. He subordinates who worked on politically sensitive cases. He posted on social media about potential targets of investigations. And he forced the chief of the office鈥檚 to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during Democratic President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration.
Martin鈥檚 temporary appointment is due to expire on May 20.
North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday that he wouldn鈥檛 support Martin鈥檚 nomination. Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said his opposition stemmed from Martin鈥檚 defense of rioters who breached the Capitol on . Other Republicans seemed likely to oppose Martin鈥檚 nomination as well.
In response to a committee questionnaire, Martin initially failed to disclose that he made over 150 appearances on the Russian government-funded RT and Sputnik networks before he took office. He later included them in a follow-up letter.
Dozens of former prosecutors from the office publicly opposed Martin鈥檚 nomination. In a letter to the committee, more than 100 office veterans described him as 鈥渁n affront to the singular pursuit of justice for which this Office has stood for more than two centuries.鈥�
Martin also had some prominent supporters, including , and His backers touted his record of fighting for conservative causes and his efforts to reduce violent crime in Washington.
Martin was a leading figure in Trump鈥檚 鈥淪top the Steal鈥� movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Capitol riot. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants.
In office, Martin oversaw the dismissals of after , commuted sentences or vowed to throw them out. Martin also ordered an internal review of prosecutors鈥� use of a felony charge against hundreds of Capitol rioters, directing employees to hand over files, emails and other documents.
Martin鈥檚 opponents also homed in on his public praise for a Capitol riot defendant, , who openly espoused white supremacist and antisemitic ideology and photographed himself sporting a Hitler mustache. He referred to Hale-Cusanelli as a friend who is 鈥渁n extraordinary guy.鈥�
Martin told committee members that he condemns Hale-Cusanelli鈥檚 hateful comments as 鈥渁bhorrent and deplorable.鈥� He claimed he didn鈥檛 learn about them until after he presented him with the award during an event at Trump鈥檚 golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Martin practiced law in Missouri but never worked as a prosecutor or tried a case before Trump appointed him in January. Martin chaired the Missouri Republican Party before becoming president of conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly鈥檚 Eagle Forum in April 2013. He co-authored a book about Trump with Schlafly, who died in 2016.
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Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed reporting.
Seung Min Kim And Michael Kunzelman, The Associated Press
