President Donald Trump’s top prosecutor in Washington, D.C., faces an uncertain future after one Republican in the Senate expressed opposition to his nomination for a full-time appointment.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told reporters on Tuesday that he met with interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin but is unwilling to vote for him because of his views concerning the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
“I need somebody in that role who believes that every single person that came into this building illegally should have suffered some consequences,” Tillis said, according to Punchbowl News.
Tillis also told reporters that he “indicated” to the White House that “at this point” he would not support the nomination, although the senator emphasized that he would back Martin in any other district besides D.C.
Tillis after meeting with Ed Martin last night:
“At this point I’ve indicated to the White House I wouldn’t support his nomination.” pic.twitter.com/T1OSqSabOn
— Alan He (@alanhe) May 6, 2025
Martin’s interim status lasts only for 120 days, a term set to end on May 20. He needs Senate confirmation to remain in the role, but the margin in any votes is sure to be close, as Democrats already oppose his nomination.
In fact, Democrats have filed a professional misconduct complaint against Martin that alleged he abused his position, and criticized the nominee over the disclosure that he appeared on Alex Jones’ InfoWars show.
A key hurdle rests with the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats. If Tillis were to vote “no,” Martin would not advance. As of press time, the panel has not even put Martin’s nomination on its agenda.
“All I can say is, as the chairman of the committee….I want to put people on the agenda, that I can help the President be successful in his nominees. And that’s all I can say at this point,” said Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), per CNN.
Trump vouched for Martin, who has overseen January 6 case dismissals following an executive order granting pardons for defendants and vowed to “chase” anyone who threatened the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project’s employees.
“I hope, that the Republican Senators will make a commitment to his approval, which is now before them. Ed is coming up on the deadline for Voting and, if approved, HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday.
Another Republican member on the Senate Judiciary Committee whose stance on Martin had been unclear, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), reportedly said on Tuesday that he intended to support the nominee in a vote.
