Jeremy Carl, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as an assistant secretary of state overseeing U.S. work with international organizations, withdrew from consideration on Tuesday after Republican resistance grew over past statements on race and comments involving Jews and Israel.
Jeremy Carl, a political commentator and Claremont Institute fellow, withdrew on Tuesday from President Donald Trump’s nomination to become an assistant secretary of state responsible for international organizations, after his confirmation prospects dimmed amid scrutiny of his past remarks.
Carl had faced a contentious hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 12, 2026, where senators questioned him about views he expressed in his 2024 book, The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart, including arguments that white Americans face persistent discrimination and that white identity has been diminished in public life. In an essay published after the hearing, Carl described the proceedings as “theatrical” and said he expected them to be “brutal.”
One line of questioning centered on Carl’s description of “white identity.” During the hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) pressed him to define the term; Carl said it referred to “certain types of Anglo-derived culture that comes from our history.” In a subsequent social media post, Carl said he was not a white nationalist and argued that the “white culture” he referenced was the dominant American culture prior to the 1965 immigration law changes, adding that Americans of any race or background can share in and contribute to that culture.
Carl also drew criticism for comments discussed during the hearing about his response to a podcast host’s remarks concerning Jews and the Holocaust. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), a member of the committee, publicly announced after the hearing that he would oppose the nomination, citing what he called Carl’s “anti-Israel views and insensitive remarks about the Jewish people.”
In his withdrawal statement on X, Carl thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for their support but said that for senior posts, backing from the president and secretary of state “is very important but not sufficient.”
Civil rights and labor organizations had urged the Senate to reject Carl’s nomination, citing a broader pattern of statements on immigration and race. Carl previously served in the Interior Department during Trump’s first term.
Other Trump-era nominees have also withdrawn after controversial statements or rising political opposition, including Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Special Counsel, who stepped aside in October 2025 after reports of offensive text messages. Separately, Nick Adams, Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Malaysia, was dropped from consideration in early 2026 after his nomination drew sustained controversy.
