Ed Martin speaks at an event hosted by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)2025-05-08T15:58:04Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would pull the nomination of conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. to be the top federal prosecutor for the nations capital, after a key Republican senator said he could not support him for the job due to his defense of Jan. 6 rioters. We have somebody else that will be great, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the status of Martins confirmation. He said it was disappointing, but thats the way it works sometime.A spokesperson for Ed Martin didnt immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Martin has served as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia since Trumps first week in office. But his hopes of keeping the job faded amid questions about his qualifications and background, including his support for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol over four years ago. Martin stirred up a chorus of critics during his brief but tumultuous tenure leading the nations largest U.S. Attorneys office. He fired and demoted subordinates who worked on politically sensitive cases. He posted on social media about potential targets of investigations. And he forced the chief of the offices criminal division to resign after directing her to scrutinize the awarding of a government contract during Democratic President Joe Bidens administration. Martins temporary appointment is due to expire on May 20. North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said Tuesday that he wouldnt support Martins nomination. Tillis, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said his opposition stemmed from Martins defense of rioters who breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Other Republicans seemed likely to oppose Martins nomination as well.In response to a committee questionnaire, Martin initially failed to disclose that he made over 150 appearances on the Russian government-funded RT and Sputnik networks before he took office. He later included them in a follow-up letter. Dozens of former prosecutors from the office publicly opposed Martins nomination. In a letter to the committee, more than 100 office veterans described him as an affront to the singular pursuit of justice for which this Office has stood for more than two centuries.Martin also had some prominent supporters, including Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump Jr. His backers touted his record of fighting for conservative causes and his efforts to reduce violent crime in Washington.Martin was a leading figure in Trumps Stop the Steal movement. He spoke at a rally in Washington on the eve of the Capitol riot. He represented three Jan. 6 defendants and served on the board of the nonprofit Patriot Freedom Project, which reports raising over $2.5 million to support riot defendants.In office, Martin oversaw the dismissals of hundreds of Jan. 6 cases after Trump pardoned defendants, commuted sentences or vowed to throw them out. Martin also ordered an internal review of prosecutors use of a felony charge against hundreds of Capitol rioters, directing employees to hand over files, emails and other documents. Martins opponents also honed in on his public praise for a Capitol riot defendant, Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, who openly espoused white supremacist and antisemitic ideology and photographed himself sporting a Hitler mustache. He referred to Hale-Cusanelli as a friend who is an extraordinary guy. Martin told committee members that he condemns Hale-Cusanellis hateful comments as abhorrent and deplorable. He claimed he didnt learn about them until after he presented him with the award during an event at Trumps golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.Martin practiced law in Missouri but never worked as a prosecutor or tried a case before Trump appointed him in January. Martin chaired the Missouri Republican Party before becoming president of conservative activist Phyllis Schlaflys Eagle Forum in April 2013. He co-authored a book about Trump with Schlafly, who died in 2016. SEUNG MIN KIM Kim covers the White House for The Associated Press. She joined the AP in 2022 and is based in Washington. twitter mailto