President Donald Trump’s nominee for a senior State Department post is facing growing opposition in the Senate, raising questions about whether his confirmation will advance.
Jeremy Carl, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, may lack sufficient support to move out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee after Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) publicly announced he would oppose the nomination.
“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. He added that he found Carl’s “anti-Israel views and insensitive remarks about the Jewish people unbecoming of the position.”
The Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs plays a key role in overseeing U.S. engagement with the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, serving as a senior diplomatic representative for the United States.
Carl previously served as deputy assistant secretary of the interior during Trump’s first term. He is currently a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and was formerly affiliated with the Hoover Institution. He is also the author of The Unprotected Class: How Anti-White Racism Is Tearing America Apart, a book that argues White Americans face systemic discrimination. The book received praise from several conservative commentators and public figures.
However, Carl’s past writings and social media posts have drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups. Critics have pointed to remarks in which he criticized Juneteenth as a “racial hustle,” described the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as an “anti-White weapon,” and referenced the ‘Great Replacement’ theory, a conspiracy claim about demographic change. He has also faced scrutiny for past comments about the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, statements about the Holocaust, and remarks regarding Jewish Americans.
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic senators pressed Carl on those statements. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) challenged him over comments related to race and demographic change. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) referred to Carl as a White nationalist during questioning, an assertion Carl rejected. Carl has said he identifies as an American civic nationalist.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) criticized the nomination on the Senate floor, arguing that Carl’s past remarks disqualify him from representing the United States in international diplomacy.
Civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, National Urban League, National Action Network, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and National Council of Negro Women, sent a joint letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging lawmakers to reject the nomination. The groups wrote that Carl’s record is “fundamentally incompatible” with the responsibilities of the role.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus also voiced concern. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), chair of the caucus, said Carl’s prior comments on civil rights and Black history raise questions about his ability to represent the country abroad.
In addition to controversy over his statements, CNN reported in September 2025 that Carl deleted thousands of past social media posts, including some that had drawn criticism, and sought their removal from internet archives.
Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, but Curtis’s opposition signals that Carl may not have unanimous support within his party. If he cannot secure enough votes in committee, the nomination could stall before reaching the full Senate for consideration.
The White House has not indicated whether it plans to move forward with the nomination if opposition continues.
