The White House / Flickr
CV NEWS FEED // President Donald Trump called it “disappointing” that Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., will not support his nominee for US attorney in D.C. Wednesday, praising Ed Martin’s leadership and citing a major drop in violent crime during Martin’s interim tenure.
“It’s disappointing because, you know, I know Ed. He’s very talented,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Crime is down in Washington, DC – street crime, violent crime – by 25%,” Trump said, pointing to new Metropolitan Police data. “People have seen it. They’ve noticed a big difference.”
“But that’s really up to the senators, if they feel that way,” Trump added. “They have to vote the way they vote. They have to follow their heart and they have to follow their mind.”
Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Tuesday he would oppose Martin’s confirmation, citing Martin’s past legal work defending individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol protests.
“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,” said Tillis, who faces a difficult re-election in 2026.
Martin, a Catholic and conservative lawyer, has led the US Attorney’s Office in D.C. on an interim basis since early 2025.
With Republicans holding a narrow 12-10 majority on the Judiciary Committee and all Democrats opposed, Tillis’ defection appears to derail Martin’s confirmation.
“Ed Martin, Donald Trump’s nominee for the position of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, is facing a confirmation delay that could have disastrous consequences,” stressed CatholicVote Vice President Joshua Mercer Wednesday.
“We’ve known Ed Martin for years,” Mercer continued. “Martin is Catholic and a rock-solid conservative currently serving as interim U.S. Attorney, playing a key role in ending the weaponization of our justice system. But if his appointment isn’t confirmed by May 20th, all that could stop… and the position will be filled by the courts.”
If the Senate fails to confirm Martin by the March 20 deadline, his interim appointment will expire, and the US District Court for D.C. will have the authority to appoint a new interim US attorney.
Mercer warned that the replacement would be selected by Chief Judge James Boasberg of the US District Court, who is “the same judge threatening to hold President Trump in contempt.”
He urged concerned citizens to act: “Contact your Senators and ask them to do whatever they can to encourage swift confirmation of Ed Martin as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Make your voice heard!”
