Trump Urges Grassley to End Senate 'Blue Slip' Judicial Block

President Trump has publicly urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to end the Senate's longstanding 'blue slip' tradition, which allows home-state senators to block judicial and U.S. attorney nominees. Trump criticized this custom as an unconstitutional barrier exploited by Democratic senators such as Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, and Andy Kim to block his nominees, including his former defense lawyer Alina Habba for a New Jersey federal prosecutor position. He argued that this practice prevents the confirmation of 'Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys' in key states with high crime rates and accused Democrats of using the blue slip process to maintain control over judicial appointments. Trump called on Grassley to break with the tradition immediately, citing previous instances when Democrats, including Joe Biden, bypassed the blue slip practice. He also framed the issue as a partisan battle, stating that Republicans must no longer allow Democrats to use this procedural custom to stall confirmations. The president's demands highlight ongoing tensions in the Senate over judicial nominations and the pace of confirmations.