US President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Joel Rayburn for assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, following resistance from members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Reuters reported Monday.
Rayburn, who served as envoy for Syria and held roles in the State Department and National Security Council during Trump’s first term, was nominated in February to oversee Middle East policy. His confirmation hearing took place in May.
However, Republican Senator Rand Paul and committee Democrats raised concerns about Rayburn’s suitability, prompting the panel to take the unusual step of advancing the nomination without recommending it to the full Senate.
Senators questioned whether Rayburn had played a role in misleading officials about US troop levels in Syria during Trump’s first term. Rayburn denied any involvement in such actions during his hearing.
The White House has not responded to requests for comment on the withdrawal, which was first reported by Axios.