HAMILTON, Canada

US President Donald Trump's nominee for US attorney of the District of Columbia has apologized for praising a man later identified as a Nazi supporter and white supremacist, according to a report Thursday.

Ed Martin told The Forward, a Jewish news outlet, that he regrets calling Timothy Hale-Cusanelli "extraordinary" during a public event last year at Trump's golf club in New Jersey.

"I'm sorry," said Martin. "I didn't know what he believed. Now that I do, I completely reject it. I hate that it happened."

The man he praised, Hale-Cusanelli, was described by the US Justice Department as someone who supported Nazi beliefs and racism. According to the report, Martin said he only learned about this after the event and would never have supported him if he had known.

Martin and Hale-Cusanelli had also appeared at another event organized by a conservative group Martin leads. That has raised concern among lawmakers, especially Democrats, who demand the Senate to question Martin before confirming him for the powerful legal role.

Saying that he now understands the need to be more careful, Martin told the news outlet that "this has made me think and talk more about judgment. It’s going to help me be smarter and more cautious."

He added that he continues to work on efforts to fight antisemitism, including a program to protect Jewish students on US university campuses.