Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump is urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to cancel the Senate’s August recess to confirm more than 100 pending presidential appointments, accusing Democrats of stalling his agenda through obstruction tactics.
Trump’s call, delivered in a series of posts on Truth Social, came in response to comments by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who echoed the president’s frustration over delays in confirming key administration officials.
“Very important,” Trump wrote Saturday, reposting Lee’s statement from X. “Republicans must play to win. Clear the 135. So badly needed!”
According to Lee, 135 of Trump’s nominees remain incomplete due to what he called Democrat-imposed gridlock. He said allowing the Senate to recess without resolving the backlog enables Biden-era holdovers to stay in key agency positions, undermining the president’s authority.
“The Senate shouldn’t recess before clearing the 135-nominee confirmation backlog,” Lee wrote. “If the Senate recesses anyway, it should actually recess — NO PRO FORMA SESSIONS, as their only purpose is to prevent Trump from making recess appointments. The Senate can’t have it both ways.”
Senate leaders have reportedly planned to hold brief pro forma sessions during the August break, a procedural move that blocks the president from making recess appointments. Trump and Lee are calling for a full recess instead, which would allow the White House to install nominees without Senate confirmation.
“President Trump is right,” Lee said in a follow-up post. “Clear the 135!”
Lee also encouraged Americans to pressure their senators using the hashtag #ClearThe135.
The push to cancel the recess is part of an effort by Trump to expedite the staffing of his administration, which he claims is being hindered by political opposition. He made a similar request the previous weekend, praising Thune while urging immediate action.
“Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed,” Trump posted. “We need them badly!!! DJT”
The Senate has not announced whether it will change its August schedule in response to the pressure.
