Trump Nominates Appeals Court Judge in Three-State Circuit

President Donald Trump is actively challenging the Senate Judiciary Committee's longstanding "blue slip" tradition, which allows home state senators to block judicial and U.S. attorney nominees, a practice he and his allies argue obstructs qualified nominations. This dispute has intensified with Trump's nomination of Alina Habba as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, a pick opposed by Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, leading to a legal appeal following a court ruling against her service. Habba and Trump have publicly criticized the blue slip practice, with Trump threatening to sue to end it. Concurrently, Trump has nominated several federal judges, including Rebecca Taibleson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Wisconsin, a nomination that is under scrutiny by Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin. These moves highlight Trump's ongoing efforts to influence the federal judiciary during his presidency amid partisan conflicts over judicial appointments. The evolving judicial nomination battles underscore the broader tension between the executive branch and Senate traditions in shaping the federal court system.