re: Trump not happy the senate GOP is using blue slips to obstruct his appointments

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@Grok

Blue slips are a longstanding tradition (not a formal Senate rule) used by the Senate Judiciary Committee to give home-state senators a veto-like power over certain presidential nominations, primarily federal district court judges, U.S. attorneys, and U.S. marshals from their state.

How the blue slip process works

When the president nominates someone for one of these positions, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman sends a blue-colored form (the “blue slip”) to each of the nominee’s two home-state senators.

The senator can return the blue slip with approval, refuse to return it, or return it with objections.

Historically, if even one home-state senator withheld or negatively returned the blue slip, the Judiciary Committee chairman would typically refuse to hold a hearing on the nomination, effectively killing it.

Blue slips only apply to district (trial-level) judges, U.S. attorneys, and marshals — not to circuit court (appellate) judges, Supreme Court justices, or most executive-branch positions.

Blue slips during Donald Trump’s presidency (2017–2021 and 2025–present)

First term (2017–2021)Republican senators almost always returned blue slips for Trump’s nominees.

Many Democratic senators, however, began refusing to return blue slips or returned them negatively for Trump district judge nominees, especially after 2018.

In November 2017, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) initially honored blue slips, blocking some Trump nominees when home-state Democrats objected.

By 2018–2019, with Democrats routinely withholding blue slips, Grassley and later Lindsey Graham (R-SC) changed policy: they began advancing district judge nominees even without both blue slips, arguing the tradition was being abused as a partisan obstruction tool.

This change allowed Trump to confirm a large number of district judges (174 total during his first term) despite Democratic opposition via blue slips.

Second term (2025–present)

As of December 2025, with Republicans controlling the Senate (53–47) and Sen. Lindsey Graham again chairing the Judiciary Committee:Democratic home-state senators have again started withholding or negatively returning blue slips on some of Trump’s district judge and U.S. attorney nominees.
Chairman Graham and the Republican majority have continued the post-2018 practice of largely ignoring missing or negative blue slips for district judges, scheduling hearings and votes anyway.

Therefore, while some Democrats are “refusing blue slips” (e.g., senators in California, New York, Illinois, etc., have withheld them on certain Trump nominees), these refusals currently do not stop the nominations from moving forward under the Republican-controlled committee.

Summary

“Blue slips refusing President Trump’s appointments” refers to Democratic home-state senators declining to return or returning negative blue slips on Trump’s district court judges, U.S. attorneys, or marshals. During Trump’s first term this tactic initially slowed some confirmations but was largely overridden after 2018. In his second term (2025 onward), with Republicans again controlling the Senate and Judiciary Committee, withheld blue slips are having minimal practical effect on most nominations.

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Or, the system of checks and balances is (slightly) working as intended.

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This GOP is what staunch conservative Rogerthecucker wants more of

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Do you ever post anything of substance?

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retired_tiger

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