President Donald Trump’s nominee for the position of assistant secretary of state for international organizations, Jeremy Carl, will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on February 8, 2024. This hearing comes despite Carl’s extensive history of controversial comments that many critics label as racist and inflammatory. If confirmed, he will supervise over 100 diplomats and collaborate closely with the United Nations on issues such as human rights and immigration.
Carl previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior in Trump’s first administration. His nomination has drawn scrutiny due to a record of what has been described as “violent” and “racist comments.” A recent investigation by CNN’s KFile revealed that Carl attempted to delete a significant number of social media posts prior to his nomination. His online remarks include calls for the execution of the head of the American Federation of Teachers and a refusal to engage in “peaceful coexistence” with the Democratic Party, which he has labeled as “evil.”
One of Carl’s most controversial statements involved the January 6 insurrection, where he claimed that those involved were treated more harshly than Black individuals during the Jim Crow era. He has also dismissed the significance of Juneteenth, labeling it as a “race hustling and white-shaming” holiday. In a 2021 post, he stated, “If you’re a white person celebrating Juneteenth, you’ve already surrendered.”
The Trump administration continues to support Carl, with Anna Kelly, deputy press secretary, affirming his qualifications. “Jeremy Carl did great work during President Trump’s first administration, and he is highly qualified to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations,” she stated in October 2023.
Carl’s comments extend beyond political violence and misunderstandings of racial history. He has continued to post inflammatory remarks since the CNN investigation. In December 2023, he referred to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as an “unqualified nominee” chosen by President Joe Biden “solely because of her race and gender.” His criticisms have also included remarks about birthright citizenship and alleged anti-white racism at elite institutions.
During a speech at the National Conservatism Conference in 2024, Carl promoted the controversial Great Replacement theory, which posits that a demographic shift is undermining white Americans. He stated, “We must utterly defeat the Great Replacement as a political strategy, and permanently remove from power all who advance it.” His rhetoric has led to accusations of promoting white victimhood, claiming that white Americans are experiencing “cultural genocide.”
Carl has also faced backlash for remarks perceived as antisemitic. In a podcast appearance, he appeared to justify historical persecution of Jews, stating, “Throughout history, Jews chose some professions that made them more oppressive.” He further suggested that Jews “loved to play the victim” and dismissed the Holocaust as “a trauma in their past.”
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, has called for Carl’s disqualification from a diplomatic role, asserting that his views are incompatible with the position. Schumer stated on the Senate floor, “No person who thinks Jews should get over the Holocaust and spreads pernicious Jewish stereotypes can claim to have the character or judgment necessary to serve as a diplomat for this country.” He has demanded that Carl address his past statements during the hearing.
Interestingly, Carl comes from a secular Jewish background but converted to Christianity and has criticized other Jews for not doing the same. He has expressed a desire for America to be recognized as a Christian nation, while acknowledging that it would not be ethnically or racially uniform.
Carl’s views on transgender issues have also been controversial. He has described “transgenderism” as a “fundamental spiritual violation” and has criticized the notion of allowing children to transition, labeling it a “social contagion.”
In light of these controversies, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations has urged the Senate committee to reject Carl’s nomination. They stated, “Mr. Carl’s repeated inflammatory public statements about immigration, race, and non-white populations in the United States are alarming and suggest he will not be an effective advocate in this diplomatic position.”
As Carl prepares for his Senate hearing, the implications of his nomination raise questions about the values and priorities of the current administration in addressing issues of race, identity, and diplomacy.