In recent months, Donald Trump and his administration have made fighting against anti-Semitism a cornerstone of the government’s agenda. However, as reported by an NPR report, at least three officials close to the U.S. president allegedly had close ties to anti-Semitic extremists, including a man described by federal prosecutors as a “Nazi sympathizer” and a prominent Holocaust denier.
Paul Ingrassia, currently White House liaison officer with the Department of Homeland Security, has ties to numerous figures known for their extremist views. In 2023, Ingrassia repeatedly praised controversial influencer Andrew Tate and worked with his legal team. Romanian authorities charged Tate with human trafficking.
The Anti-Defamation League says Tate has heavily adhered to blatantly anti-Semitic rhetoric, perpetuating Holocaust revisionism, spreading conspiracy theories about Israel, praising Hamas, performing Nazi salutes and encouraging people to embrace racism.
Ingrassia was also seen at a rally in Detroit in June 2024 led by Holocaust denier and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. On social media, the current White House-DHS liaison wrote that “dissident voices” like Fuentes belong in conservative politics. He also wrote a post on Substack titled “Free Nick Fuentes,” in which he criticized Platform X for banning the denier for hate speech. The profile was later restored.
Over the years, Ingrassia has also stood up for Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, one of the men convicted of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Hill assault. Federal prosecutors described Hale-Cusanelli as a “Nazi sympathizer” who once worked at a naval weapons base wearing a “Hitler mustache.”
Prior to joining the Trump administration as director of communications for the White House Office of Management and Budget, Rachel Cauley, on the other hand, had served on the board of the Patriot Freedom Project, a Capitol Hill insurgent advocacy group that has had several relationships with pro-Nazi individuals over time.
In the past, Ed Martin, a current Justice Department official, also came to the defense of Hale-Cusanelli, described as “an extraordinary man and leader.”
Finally, Kash Patel, Trump’s choice for FBI director, has been a guest eight times on the podcast of far-right conspiracy theorist Stew Peters, a Holocaust denier. Some time ago, Peters posted a photo of himself holding Hitler’s Mein Kampf, accompanied by the words “visionary leadership.”
