Ed Martin, a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, faced an unsettling incident during a live interview on Newsmax on May 8. Martin, who had recently been withdrawn as Trump’s nominee for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, was spat on by a passerby while speaking to a correspondent. The woman approached him, confirmed his identity, and spat on him while calling him a “disgusting man” before walking away with her dog. Martin, visibly shocked, stepped out of the camera’s view as the Newsmax anchor and host condemned the act, with one of them labeling the woman as a “crazed leftist” and another predicting legal consequences for her actions.
This event occurred just hours after Trump rescinded Martin’s nomination due to a lack of support, which followed several controversies surrounding Martin, including his defense of Capitol rioters and his praise for a Nazi sympathizer. Republican Senator Thom Tillis had also opposed Martin’s confirmation over his involvement in the “Stop the Steal” movement. Trump expressed disappointment over the lack of backing for Martin, who had been serving as interim U.S. Attorney since January. Instead of the nomination, Trump announced plans to nominate Jeanine Pirro for the role while assigning Martin to lead the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group.
