DOJ denies report judicial nominee once called illegal immigrants ‘maggots’

The Justice Department is denying a report that a federal district court nominee of President Trump’s once referred to illegal immigrants as “maggots” during a campaign event in Texas.

Slate reported Thursday that Michael Truncale, Trump’s nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, had appeared to make the remark during a 2012 candidate forum in a suburban Texas county in response to questions about border security. 

Truncale called the U.S.-Mexico border “porous” and said there were “bad influences coming in” such as drugs and “illegal gangs,” and suggested the Pentagon give used military equipment from the war in Iraq to U.S. Border Patrol.  

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Slate, citing the Vetting Room, reported that Truncale then said “We must not continue to have the maggots coming in,” but the Department of Justice (DOJ) Spokesman Drew Hudson confirmed for The Hill that the word he used was “magnets,” referring to social safety-net programs. 

“He does not actually say maggots. Obviously that would be an offensive slur,” Hudson told the Dallas Morning News. “What he’s actually saying is magnets, not maggots. What he’s talking about are entitlement programs.”

Slate has since updated its story to state that Truncale probably didn’t say maggots.

Truncale, who is set for a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week, is a longtime Republican donor and former executive member of the Texas GOP who was reportedly recommended by Texas Sens. Ted Cruz (R) and John Cornyn (R).

—Updated at 3:26 p.m.