Just when it appears that Republican voters are finally going to get the kind of Donald Trump-led conservative governance they supported during last year’s historic election, the RINOs – Republicans In Name Only – rear their ugly heads and threaten to throw a wrench into everything. Only, the president is getting more fed up with these stunts by the day, and given he is commandingly in control of the GOP, he’s got a lot of political weight to throw around.
Trump weighed in Monday night on a reported effort by a group of Republican senators to block the nomination of Ed Martin, his pick for the key role of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. In a forceful Truth Social post, Trump defended the nomination and pushed back against the opposition. Martin was appointed to the role on January 20, the day Trump began his second term. As U.S. Attorney for D.C., he holds a unique position, overseeing the prosecution of both federal and local crimes in the nation’s capital.
Martin’s predecessor, Matthew Graves, faced criticism for allegedly misusing the office by prosecuting hundreds of Trump supporters on non-violent trespassing charges related to the January 6 Capitol protests. Many of those individuals received lengthy federal prison sentences for what were, in several cases, misdemeanor offenses.
Martin’s interim appointment is limited to a maximum of 120 days and is set to expire on May 20. If he is not confirmed by then, the authority to appoint a successor will shift to the U.S. District Court—an institution widely viewed as hostile to Trump and his agenda. Chief Judge James Boasberg, an appointee of Obama who has halted Trump’s deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, instructed the administration to actually turn planes carrying illegal alien gang members back home to turn around in mid-air, and then held Trump admin officials in contempt, will get to pick the D.C. U.S. Attorney.
Despite the position’s critical importance to the Trump administration, several Republican senators have signaled they may oppose Ed Martin’s confirmation. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) has raised concerns about Martin’s outspoken support for January 6 political prisoners, while Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has remained noncommittal, saying, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Several additional Republican senators have yet to back Martin’s nomination, including Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Curtis (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), creating uncertainty around the final confirmation vote. As the confirmation process approaches its critical stage, President Trump took to Truth Social on Monday night to urge GOP senators to support Martin’s nomination. He emphasized that Martin’s role is essential to advancing his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda and other key initiatives.
“According to many but, in particular, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., his approval is IMPERATIVE in terms of doing all that has to be done to SAVE LIVES and to, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN,” the president wrote. “This is a passion for Ed, more so than for almost anyone that I have seen. One of the reasons that I was so successful in winning the 2024 Presidential Election is my commitment to Health, and helping to Make America Healthy. The Cost of the Chronic Disease Epidemic has gotten out of control over the past four years of the Biden Presidency. We are going to take our Country BACK, and FAST.”
The president went on to express his “hope” that Republican senators will help him do so by voting to confirm. “When some day in the future you look back at your Vote for Ed Martin, you will be very proud of what you have done for America and America’s Health. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the post concluded.
The is the new-and-improved Trump, or ‘Trump 2.0’ you might say, informing hesitant senators who don’t like Martin’s advocacy for lighter sentences for many of the Jan. 6 detainees that they need to fall in line or else they’ll wind up on the losing end of a campaign down the road. Subtle, but necessary, as it turns out.