Scoop: White House pulls Joel Rayburn's nomination for top State job

The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Joel Rayburn to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, according to three people familiar with the matter.Why it matters: Rayburn was controversial due to his alleged involvement in obscuring U.S. troop levels in Syria from President Trump in his first term, when he served as Trump's special envoy for Syria.Driving the news: Rayburn was first nominated by Trump in February but his nomination languished in the Senate, and when he finally received a confirmation hearing in May he faced tough questions from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).Paul opposed his nomination in committee, but it still advanced 15-7. But Paul's opposition made his path to confirmation difficult in the full Senate, and the White House pulled his nomination on Monday."We voted him last week out with no recommendation," Paul told Axios, without confirming that his nomination has been withdrawn.The big picture: Rayburn, a former U.S. army officer and historian, also worked on Middle East issues on Trump's National Security Council before being appointed Syria envoy in 2018. Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.

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