“Shermichael Singleton, who was one of the few black conservatives in the Trump administration, had been working at the Department of Housing and Urban Development since Jan. 23 as a senior adviser,” reports The New York Times. “He was preparing a cross-country tour for [Ben Carson], who is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this month.”

But the “background check” of Singleton pulled up his October opinion piece. “A Republican asks: Aren’t we morally obliged to stand up to Trump?” he wrote.

“My party in particular has allowed itself to be taken over by someone who claims to be a Republican but doesn’t represent any of our values, principles or traditions.We allowed that hostile takeover to happen on our watch,” he wrote. “This individual recognized a moment of great disparity in the Republican base and, like cancer, attacked and spread, consuming everything in his path.”