For context, according to press accounts, seven GOP senators, including Lisa Murkowski (AK), Bill Cassidy (LA), John Curtis (UT), and Thom Tillis (NC), have held out appointing Ed Martin, President Trump’s pick to be the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columia, with Sen. Tillis going on to blame his concerns about Martin on his involvement with January 6 defendants.
Furthermore, press coverage confirmed on May 6, 2025, that Sen. Tillis would not vote for Martin’s confirmation. The senator told reporters, “I don’t believe he’s being advanced to the markup. And I met with Mr. Martin. He seems like a good man.” Sen. Tillis added, “Most of my concerns are related to January 6.”
Elaborating, Sen. Tillis explained that he believed that Martin “built a compelling case on some of the 1512 prosecutions that were probably heat-of-the-moment bad decisions.” However, the senator added, “I think anybody that reached that perimeter should have been in prison for some period of time.”
Continuing, Sen. Tillis explained more about his issue with Martin, saying that he had “no tolerance” for those involved in the January 6 incident, saying, “They made the stupid decision to come through a building that had been breached and that the police officers and others were saying, ‘Stay away.’ So, the difference wasn’t that they should be charged; in my estimation, it’s by how much that’s an argument I’m willing to have, but we have to be very, very clear that what happened on January the sixth was wrong.”
In addition, Sen. Tillis argued against Martin’s defense of those involved in January 6 who were pardoned, saying, “There were some two or 300 of them that should have never gotten a pardon.” He added, “If Mr. Martin were being put forth as a US Attorney for any district except the district where January 6 happened, the protest happened, I’d probably support him, but not in this district.”
In response to the opposition from the seven senators, conservative author Cynthia Hughes wrote a post on X on May 4, 2025, urging constituents to “call your senators,” adding, “Especially those key holdouts — and demand answers.” She continued, “Ask them why they’re standing in the way of President Trump’s agenda. Why don’t they want to see his vision passed and implemented? Tell them you want Ed Martin confirmed!”
In addition, conservative commentator Nick Sortor expressed a similar level of urgency in a post from the same day, writing, “🚨 ALERT: We only have until MAY 20TH to confirm Ed Martin as Trump’s U.S. Attorney for DC.” Sortor added, “If that DOESN’T happen, anti-Trump activist Judge Boasberg will choose who is the most important U.S. attorney in the country. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR @LeaderJohnThune???”
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In response to Sortor’s post, several conservatives chimed in with their support. The X user Gunther Eagleman wrote, “Our @SenateGOP is worthless,” getting 401 likes for his comment. Another user added, “0 Minutes just did a Pure Propaganda hit piece against Trump making activist lawyers sound so virtuous. Step up and confirm Ed Martin!”
Watch Sen. Tillis confirm that he is not supporting Martin’s confirmation:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video