GEOFF BENNETT: President Trump's nominee to# lead the Office of Special Counsel is under## fire just days before he is set to testify# on his nomination to a Senate committee.

In a text chain obtained by Politico, Paul# Ingrassia reportedly made racist remarks,## including saying the Martin Luther# King Jr.

holiday should be ended and,## in his words, tossed into the# seventh circle of hell.

He also## admits to what he called a -- quote --# "Nazi streak in me from time to time."

At least four Republican senators# now say they oppose his nomination,## including Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

We're joined now by Jeff Sharlet, a professor at# Dartmouth College who studies rising extremism.

Thanks for being with us.

JEFF SHARLET, Dartmouth# College: Hi, Geoff.

Good to be## with you.

GEOFF BENNETT:.. as we speak a little after 5:00 .. even though the Senate majority leader, John# Thune, says he doesn't expect it to move forward.

For people who've not followed this story# closely, who is Paul Ingrassia and how## do these leaked messages fit within# what is known about his world view?

JEFF SHARLET: Paul Ingrassia is a 30-year-old## Cornell Law School graduate, longtime,# no other word for it, extremist activists## and has held a couple other positions.

He was# White House liaison to Department of Justice.

And in that capacity, he was advocating for what# he called only hiring people with exceptional## loyalty to Trump.

He -- both of having represented# Andrew Tate, the sort of extreme, misogynist,## antisemite influencer.

He has advocated# for Nick Fuentes, the antisemitic activist.

He's even advocated for a man named# Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a January 6## rioter convicted sentenced to four years.# Viewers might remember him as he liked to## style himself as Hitler.

He dressed up as Hitler# with a Hitler mustache and a Hitler haircut.

And so when we hear now Paul Ingrassia# saying, I have got a Nazi streak,## this isn't news.

He's been talking# about the importance of America as a## place founded by whites.

I mean, it's even in# the language that we see in the text chain,## he talks about rejecting -- the only part he# wants to reject the founders is where they## said all people are created equal, because# he has long been arguing that they're not.

GEOFF BENNETT: And these text messages# are especially striking when you consider## he's being nominated to lead an agency# that investigates whistle-blower claims## and claims of discrimination# across the federal government.

In your view, what kind of moral or political# culture allows someone who talks this way in## private to be considered for a# Senate-confirmed role in 2025?

JEFF SHARLET: Well, let's remember he talks this# way in private.

He talks this way in public.

But why is this hitting now?

Why are some# of these Republican senators saying this,## versus all the other times he said variations# of these comments, too much?

And I think it## has to do with the idea that maybe what he# was doing in public before was performance,## but what happens in a chat group where he# makes these points and then he backs them up,## if there's any doubt that maybe he's# just joking or what kind of joke is that,## he doubles down and he says, no,# I'm serious.

This really matters.

It's almost a kind of private intimate racism.# It removes any veneer of denial that this is## some kind of satire or performance.

But is# there qualitatively a difference in what he's## been saying in this chat and publicly for years# now?

Is there qualitatively a difference from## news we see reported today in The Washington# Post that we're going to be cutting back refugees## from what was 125,000 a year under Biden to# 7500, 7,000 of whom may be white Afrikaners?

How is this qualitatively different from the# attempt to purge the Naval Academy's library## of Black history, of Holocaust history,# even as it left on the shelves books like## "Mein Kampf"?

This isn't qualitatively# different.

It's stylistically different.

He's using the N-word, the other N-word.# He's calling himself a Nazi.

But he's## talking about white supremacy and he's# not the only one in this administration.

GEOFF BENNETT: So I hear you say# this is not a fringe incident,## but talk more about how you see this as part# of a larger pattern where white nationalist## ideas are being normalized within# mainstream conservative politics.

JEFF SHARLET: Yes, I thin, I mean, now# is it not only a fringe incident.

This is## the -- if he gets this position -- and now# it does seem in doubt -- but this will be## the third position he's held# in the Trump administration.

And, again, all these ideas have been on# the public -- out in public for a long time.## He got this job because of these ideas,# not despite them.

And so I think,## when we're talking about normalizing,# again, we have to ask ourselves,## is this sort of something that's out there on# the fringe or it's right there in the center?

It's the language.

Again, this is not# qualitatively different than President Trump## calling Black elected official after Black elected# official a low-I.Q.

individual.

And then when we## see Paul Ingrassia saying all Black people are --# play victim because that's what -- they like this,## they're from S-hole countries, he's# just repeating the president's words.

And you led with him calling for getting# rid of MLK Day, which he's not alone,## by the way.

A lot of very conservative# politicians for years have advocated## for that.

He actually goes a step further# on that score.

He says getting rid of all## holidays associated with Black people.

Only,# he doesn't say Black.

He uses an ethnic slur.

GEOFF BENNETT: Jeff Sharlet, thanks again for# joining us this evening.

We appreciate it.

JEFF SHARLET: Thanks, Geoff.