By Blessing Nweke
President Donald Trump’s nominee for a senior State Department role is facing bipartisan resistance after a Republican senator publicly opposed his confirmation over past comments about Israel and the Holocaust.
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, announced Thursday that he would not support Jeremy Carl’s nomination to serve as assistant secretary of state for international organizations. The position oversees U.S. engagement at the United Nations and other multilateral bodies.
“After reviewing his record and participating in today’s hearing, I do not believe that Jeremy Carl is the right person to represent our nation’s best interests in international forums,” Curtis said in a statement, citing what he described as Carl’s “anti-Israel views and insensitive remarks about the Jewish people.”
Curtis pressed Carl during the confirmation hearing about comments he made in 2024 during a podcast discussion about Israel. According to Curtis, Carl agreed with a host who characterized Israel as a “perpetrator” and questioned how long the country could “rest on the Holocaust.”
Republicans hold a narrow 12-10 majority on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Curtis’ opposition could result in an 11-11 tie, effectively stalling the nomination before it reaches the full Senate.
Carl, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and a former deputy assistant interior secretary during Trump’s first term, also faced sharp questioning from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., about his past statements on “white identity.” Murphy later labeled Carl a “legit white nationalist” in a social media post.
Neither Carl nor the Claremont Institute responded to requests for comment. The White House also declined immediate comment.
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