‘Do Something!’ Trump Rages at Republicans, Says Senate Process Is Rigged Against Him
‘Do Something!’ Trump Rages at Republicans, Says Senate Process Is Rigged Against Him
President Donald Trump on Thursday escalated his pressure campaign on Senate Republicans, demanding they dismantle the long-standing “blue slip” tradition that allows individual senators to block judicial and U.S. attorney nominees from their home states.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of abusing the process to stall his administration’s efforts to install judges and prosecutors aligned with his agenda. He argued that the Senate custom is preventing dozens of nominees from receiving confirmation votes.
“‘Blue slips’ are making it impossible to get great Republican judges and U.S. attorneys approved in any state where there is even a single Democrat senator,” Trump wrote. “If they say no, then it is over for that very well-qualified Republican candidate.”
The blue slip process, a century-old Senate prerogative, allows home-state senators to approve or reject nominees before they advance in the Judiciary Committee. While not a formal rule, the practice has been observed to varying degrees depending on who controls the Senate.
Trump criticized Republicans for allowing the tradition to remain intact, singling out Senate Republican Conference Chair Chuck Grassley, who has long defended the practice as a matter of institutional respect. Trump called the procedure “a scam” and “unfair to Republicans.”
“It is shocking that Republicans allow this to continue,” Trump wrote. “Only a far-left Democrat can get approved. It is not constitutional.”
The president then directly appealed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), urging him to take immediate action to eliminate the use of blue slips altogether. “I am asking John Thune, a fantastic guy, to get something done,” Trump said.
Trump also claimed that “too many great Republicans are being sent packing” because their nominations cannot advance out of committee. “None are getting approved,” he wrote, again insisting that the process is blocking essential judicial and prosecutorial appointments.
The dispute over blue slips has intensified during Trump’s second term, as Democrats argue Republicans are attempting to override long-standing norms to accelerate their consolidation of power in the judiciary. Republicans counter that Democrats are using the process as a blanket obstruction tactic.
Trump’s public demands put additional pressure on Thune and Senate GOP leadership as they weigh whether to break with precedent and abolish the blue slip tradition entirely — a move that would fundamentally reshape the confirmation process for years to come.
