President Donald Trump is demanding that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley abandon the Senate’s long-standing “blue slip” tradition, warning that Democrats will use it to undermine his judicial nominees and mock Republican leadership.
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump criticized the custom as outdated and “ridiculous,” insisting it hands Democrats the power to stall his appointments to federal courts and U.S. attorney posts with “a mere flick of the pen.”
“The Democrats have broken this ridiculous custom on us, it’s time that we break it on them,” Trump wrote. “Chuck, I know you have the Courage to do this, DO IT!”
The “blue slip” process, in place for decades, allows senators from a judicial nominee’s home state to submit an opinion—usually on a blue-colored form—approving or objecting to the nomination. While nonbinding, the custom has often led Judiciary Committee chairs to block nominees who lacked home-state support.
Trump urged Grassley to follow the lead of President Joe Biden, who he accused of violating the tradition “at least twice,” and called on the Iowa senator to “step up” and confirm Republican-aligned judges and prosecutors without delay.
“He should do this IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective,” Trump added.
Grassley, 91, brushed off the criticism, telling Politico he’s said all he intends to about the issue: “I’ve already spoken about the blue slip problem. And I’ve got no more to say than what I’ve been saying for 50 years.”
A spokesperson for Grassley defended his current approach, noting that Trump’s recent picks for U.S. attorney positions had already advanced with blue slip support from Democratic senators, including Virginia’s Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and Minnesota’s Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith.
While Trump has previously endorsed Grassley’s reelection efforts, the growing tension underscores a broader struggle within the GOP over how aggressively to reshape the federal judiciary in the face of Democratic resistance.
