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President Donald Trump on Tuesday night called on Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to eliminate the Senate’s “blue slip” tradition, claiming the practice is stalling confirmation of his judicial and U.S. attorney nominees.
The blue slip process allows home-state senators to weigh in on federal judicial and U.S. attorney nominees by submitting a formal approval or disapproval to the Senate Judiciary Committee. If a senator withholds the slip, the committee has traditionally declined to move forward with the nomination, though the practice is not a binding rule.
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump argued that the procedure is being used by Democrats to block conservative nominees in states like California, Virginia and New Jersey.
“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the ‘Blue Slip’ problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen,” Trump wrote.
“Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates,” he added.
Trump pointed to past Democratic actions as justification for scrapping the tradition, saying then-Sen. Joe Biden broke the custom multiple times. He called on Grassley to follow suit and allow his nominees to move forward regardless of Democratic opposition.
“Senator Grassley must step up, like Crooked Joe Biden did, when he openly broke, at least two times, the ‘Blue Slip’ SCAM, and like others have done over the years, and let our Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys BE CONFIRMED,” Trump said. “He should do this, IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective.”
“The Democrats have broken this ridiculous custom on us, it’s time that we break it on them,” Trump added. “Chuck, I know you have the courage to do this, DO IT!”
The comments come amid frustration over the Senate’s slow confirmation process for some of Trump’s nominees. Under federal law, U.S. attorney nominees can only serve in an acting capacity for 120 days, adding urgency to their confirmation. Grassley has not publicly responded to Trump’s remarks.