Senate Confirms Trump’s First Second-Term Judge

The Senate confirmed Whitney Hermandorfer as President Donald Trump’s first second-term nominee to the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 46-42 party-line vote. Hermandorfer, formerly a top litigator in Tennessee’s attorney general’s office and a former clerk for three Supreme Court justices, defended several of Trump’s contentious policies, including attempts to end birthright citizenship and support for strict abortion bans. Her confirmation proceeds at a slower pace than Trump's first term due to only 49 federal judicial vacancies, compared to over 100 in 2017. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has pledged to keep prioritizing confirmations. Democrats and progressive groups criticized Hermandorfer for her limited courtroom experience and ideological stances. The confirmation highlights the ongoing partisan contest over the federal judiciary, with both Trump and Biden having set records for judicial appointments.