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Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
,
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
from 2017 to 2021, entered office with a significant number of judicial vacancies, including a
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
vacancy due to the death of
Antonin Scalia Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...
in February 2016. During the first eight months of his presidency, he nominated approximately 50 judges, a significantly higher number than any other recent president had made by that point in his presidency. By June 24, 2020, 200 of his Article III nominees had been confirmed by the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
. According to multiple media outlets, Trump significantly impacted the composition of the Supreme Court and lower courts during his tenure. , the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
(ABA) had rated 220 of Trump's nominees. Of these nominees, 150 were rated "well-qualified," 61 were rated "qualified," and 9 were rated "not qualified." Seven of the nine individuals rated as "not qualified" have been confirmed by the Senate. According to ''Vox'''s Ian Millhiser, "There’s no completely objective way to measure legal ability, but a common metric used by legal employers to identify the most gifted lawyers is whether those lawyers secured a federal clerkship, including the most prestigious clerkships at the Supreme Court. Approximately 40 percent of Trump’s appellate nominees clerked for a Supreme Court justice, and about 80 percent clerked on a federal court of appeals. That compares to less than a quarter of Obama’s nominees who clerked on the Supreme Court, and less than half with a federal appellate clerkship. In other words, based solely on objective legal credentials, the average Trump appointee has a far more impressive résumé than any past president’s nominees." As of July 2020, the judges appointed by Trump are "85% white and 76% male; less than 5% are African-American,” as a result of which the federal judiciary has become "less diverse" compared to previous administrations, according to an analysis by ''The Conversation.''


List of unsuccessful federal judicial nominations

Trump made 46 nominations for federal judgeships that were not confirmed by the Senate. Of these, 6 were withdrawn by President Trump, 32 expired at an adjournment of the Senate, and 8 were withdrawn by President Joe Biden after he took office. As of September 8, 2022, 4 of Trump's unsuccessful nominees had been nominated to a federal judgeship, and all 4 had been confirmed.


Supreme Court


Confirmed nominees

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
*
Neil Gorsuch Neil McGill Gorsuch ( ; born August 29, 1967) is an American lawyer and judge who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 31, 2017, and has served since ...
(of
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
): Trump announced the nomination of Judge Gorsuch on January 31, 2017. The nomination was formally transmitted to the Senate on February 1, 2017. Judge Gorsuch's confirmation hearings started on March 20, 2017, and lasted four days. On April 3, the Judiciary Committee approved Judge Gorsuch by a vote of 11–9, a party-line vote. During the last day of committee hearings, Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
(D-NY) announced from the Senate floor that he would
filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking out ...
the nomination. Democratic opposition focused primarily on the complaint that the vacancy on the court was created by the death of Justice
Antonin Scalia Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...
during President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
's administration, and therefore should have been filled by President Obama's nominee for the vacancy, Judge
Merrick Garland Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is an American lawyer and jurist serving since March 2021 as the 86th United States attorney general. He previously served as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of ...
. In response,
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
hearkened back to November 2013 when Democrats invoked the
nuclear option In the United States Senate, the nuclear option is a parliamentary procedure that allows the Senate to override a standing rule by a simple majority, avoiding the two-thirds supermajority normally required to invoke cloture on a resolution to ...
to fill three vacancies on the
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. federal appellate cou ...
. To counter the filibuster, Republicans invoked the nuclear option, ending debate with a simple majority vote and extending the rule that a simple majority could invoke
cloture Cloture (, also ), closure or, informally, a guillotine, is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. ...
on all presidential nominations, including Supreme Court nominations. The Senate confirmed Gorsuch on April 7, 2017, by a vote of 54–45, with all Senate Republicans present voting to confirm along with three Democratic senators from states that voted heavily for Trump: Senators
Joe Manchin Joseph Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Manchin was the 34th governor of ...
(D-WV),
Heidi Heitkamp Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp ( ; born October 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States senator from North Dakota from 2013 to 2019. A member of the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party, ...
(D-ND), and
Joe Donnelly Joseph Simon Donnelly Sr. (born September 29, 1955) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as a United States senator from Indiana from 2013 to 2019. Since 2022, he has served as the United States Ambassador to the Holy Se ...
(D-IN). *
Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael Kavanaugh ( ; born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since Oc ...
(of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
): Trump announced the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh in July 2018. The nomination was formally transmitted to the Senate on July 10, 2018. Widespread opposition to his nomination emerged within the Democratic Caucus after allegations emergerd that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted fellow student
Christine Blasey Ford Christine Margaret Blasey Ford ( ; born November 1966) is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models f ...
back when he was in Highschool. The Senate would go on to confirm Judge Kavanaugh on October 6, 2018, by a vote of 50–48. Except for Senator
Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann Murkowski ( ; born May 22, 1957) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator for Alaska, having held that seat since 2002. Murkowski is the second-most senior Republican woman in the Senate, after S ...
(R-AK), all Senate Republicans voted to confirm Judge Kavanaugh and except for Senator
Joe Manchin Joseph Manchin III (born August 24, 1947) is an American politician and businessman serving as the senior United States senator from West Virginia, a seat he has held since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Manchin was the 34th governor of ...
(D-WV), all Senate Democrats opposed him. Murkowski announced her opposition to Judge Kavanaugh, but instead of voting no, she voted present in order to
pair Pair or PAIR or Pairing may refer to: Government and politics * Pair (parliamentary convention), matching of members unable to attend, so as not to change the voting margin * ''Pair'', a member of the Prussian House of Lords * ''Pair'', the Frenc ...
her vote with Senator
Steve Daines Steven David Daines ( ; born August 20, 1962) is an American politician and former corporate executive serving as the junior United States senator for Montana since 2015. A Republican, he served as the U.S. representative for Montana's at-large ...
(R-MT), who was attending his daughter's wedding. *
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
(of
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
): On September 26, 2020, weeks before the 2020 presidential election, Trump nominated Judge Barrett to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...
. On October 26, 2020, the Senate voted 52–48 to confirm her nomination. Democrats rebuked Republicans as brazen hypocrites for violating the precedent they established in 2016 when they refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland more than nine months before the end of his term. The 35 days between the nomination and the presidential election marked the shortest period of time between a nomination to the Supreme Court and an election in U.S. history.


Appellate nominees


Failed nominees


United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maine * District of Massachusetts * ...

* Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach (of
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
): On November 13, 2020, Trump announced his intent to nominate Arias-Marxuach, a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico (in case citations, D.P.R.; es, Tribunal del Distrito de Puerto Rico) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is b ...
, to serve as a
United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...
for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge
Juan R. Torruella Juan Rafael Torruella del Valle Sr. (June 7, 1933October 26, 2020) was a Puerto Rican jurist. He served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1984 until his death, and as chief judge of ...
, who died on October 26, 2020; the nomination was sent to the Senate on November 30, 2020. The nomination was considered controversial, as Trump had already lost the
2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: **C ...
to Joe Biden when he announced it, although Arias-Marxuach himself was not controversial. Although he received a hearing before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
on December 16, 2020, no further action on his nomination was taken due to Republican Judiciary Committee chairman
Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. A member of the Republican Party, Graham chaired the Senate Committee ...
's opposition to processing the nomination out of committee during the lame-duck session of the
116th Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Janua ...
. This resulted in the nomination's expiration at the end of the 116th Congress on January 3, 2021, upon which it was returned to the President, pursuant to Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the rules of the Senate; later that same day, his renomination to the same seat was sent to the Senate. However, before the Senate could act upon the nomination and despite the outgoing Trump administration and Graham's attempts to invoke "
senatorial courtesy Senatorial courtesy is a long-standing, unwritten, unofficial, and nonbinding constitutional convention in the United States describing the tendency of U.S. senators to support a Senate colleague when opposing the appointment to federal office of ...
" and recommend to President Biden—who took office on January 20—that he maintain Arias-Marxuach's renomination in the
117th Congress The 117th United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on ...
in light of the nominees's qualifications and drawing of bipartisan support, Biden formally withdrew the nomination on February 4, 2021. On May 12, 2021, Biden announced his selection of
Gustavo Gelpí Gustavo Antonio Gelpí Jr. (born December 11, 1965) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He is a former chief United States district judge of the United Stat ...
, the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, for the position, with his nomination being sent to the Senate later that same day; Gelpí was later confirmed on October 18, 2021.


United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * Eastern District of Louisiana * M ...

*
Halil Suleyman Ozerden Halil Suleyman "Sul" Ozerden ( tr, Halil Süleyman Özerden) (born December 5, 1966) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and a former nominee to be a Circuit Judge for the ...
(of the Southern District of Mississippi): On June 11, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Ozerden to serve as a United States Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. On June 24, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. His nomination ran into opposition from some conservative groups and he faced skeptical questions from several Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Many of the questions regard his views on religious liberty and some others questioned how many of his rulings had been reversed. On September 12, 2019, Senator
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
announced his opposition to the nomination. The Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on recommending Ozerden on September 26, 2019, but the vote was postponed after Senator
Josh Hawley Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...
joined Ted Cruz in his opposition to Ozerden's elevation to the Circuit Court. On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. Trump later nominated
Cory T. Wilson Cory Todd Wilson (born August 8, 1970) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Wilson was previously a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals and a member of t ...
in Ozerden's place, and Wilson was confirmed on June 24, 2020.


United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...

*
Ryan Bounds Ryan Wesley Bounds (born 1973) is an American attorney serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. Bounds had been a nominee for a position as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals ...
(of
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
): On September 7, 2017, Trump nominated Bounds, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge
Diarmuid O'Scannlain Diarmuid Fionntain O'Scannlain ( ; born March 28, 1937) is a Senior Status, Senior United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. His chambers are located in Portland, Oregon, ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on December 31, 2016. A short time later, the state's two Democratic U.S. senators,
Ron Wyden Ronald Lee Wyden (; born May 3, 1949) is an American politician and retired educator serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Oregon, a seat he has held since 1996 United Stat ...
and
Jeff Merkley Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Oregon since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley served as the 64th speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives ...
, announced that they would
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
the nomination. They complained that the Trump administration had bypassed a state bipartisan vetting commission and had not consulted them about the nomination. However, the White House Counsel's office produced records stating that they had contacted the state's U.S. senators on multiple occasions, but had gotten little response from them. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Bounds to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. In February 2018, the bipartisan committee cited by the two Senators found Bounds to be qualified. However, the senators subsequently questioned Bounds' fitness on the basis of some of his writings when he was a student at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
in the 1990s. On May 9, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On June 7, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 party-line vote. On July 18, 2018, the Senate voted 50–49 to invoke
cloture Cloture (, also ), closure or, informally, a guillotine, is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. ...
on his nomination. On July 19, 2018, Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell McConnell III (born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and retired attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky and the Senate minority leader since 2021. Currently in his seventh term, McConne ...
announced that Bounds' nomination would be withdrawn after Senators
Tim Scott Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Carolina since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Go ...
and
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (born May 28, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the senior United States senator from Florida, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Speaker of the Florida Hous ...
announced they would not support the nomination, meaning there would not be enough votes to confirm Bounds. On July 24, 2018, his nomination was officially withdrawn. Trump later nominated Washington County Judge
Danielle J. Forrest Danielle Jo Forrest, formerly known as Danielle Jo Hunsaker (born June 24, 1977), is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Forrest was an Oregon state court judge for the Washington County ...
in Bounds' place, and Forrest was confirmed on November 6, 2019.


Confirmed nominees


United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...

* Steven Menashi (of
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
): On August 14, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Menashi to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On September 9, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. That same day, the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
(ABA) rated Menashi as "well qualified," its highest rating. During his hearing, Menashi was criticized by senators from both parties for refusing to answer their questions regarding the role he played in shaping the Trump administration's immigration policies. He was also questioned about an article he had written in the ''
University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law The ''University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law'' is a scholarly journal focusing on issues of international law, international relations, transnational law and comparative law. The ''Journal'' is published quarterly by an organizatio ...
'' about
ethnonationalism Ethnic nationalism, also known as ethnonationalism, is a form of nationalism wherein the nation and nationality are defined in terms of ethnicity, with emphasis on an ethnocentric (and in some cases an ethnocratic) approach to various politic ...
and
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. On November 14, 2019, the Senate voted 51–41 to confirm his nomination.


United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maryla ...

*
Allison Jones Rushing Allison Blair Jones Rushing (born 1982) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit since March 2019. Early life, family, and education Born in Hender ...
(of
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
): On August 27, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Rushing to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Her official nomination was received on the same day by the Senate. She was nominated to the seat to be vacated by
Allyson Kay Duncan Allyson Kay Duncan (born September 5, 1951, in Durham, North Carolina) is a former United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She was the Fourth Circuit's first female African American judge. Backgro ...
, who had previously announced her decision to take
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
upon the confirmation of her successor. On October 17, 2018, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On January 3, 2019, her nomination was returned to Trump under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Rushing for a federal judgeship. Her nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. During Rushing's confirmation proceedings, she was questioned about her ties to the
Alliance Defending Freedom Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF, formerly Alliance Defense Fund) is an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group that works to curtail rights for LGBTQ people; expand Christian practices within public schools and in government; and ...
(ADF), a conservative Christian group that she had interned for as a law student. ADF has been criticized for opposing LGBT rights. Rushing's defenders pointed out that she had only briefly interned for the group back in 2009 and had little contact with it since. Rushing was asked if she would recuse herself from ADF-related cases if confirmed. She replied: "I would determine the appropriate action with the input of the parties, consultation of these rules and ethical canons, and consultation with my colleagues." Asked about ADF being labeled a "hate group" by the
Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white su ...
, Rushing said: "Hate is wrong, and it should have no place in our society. In my experience with ADF, I have not witnessed anyone expressing or advocating hate." On March 5, 2019, the Senate voted to confirm Rushing by a 53–44 vote.


United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * Eastern District of Louisiana * M ...

* Kyle Duncan (of
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
): On September 28, 2017, Trump announced his intent to nominate Duncan to an undetermined seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. On October 2, 2017, he was officially nominated to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge W. Eugene Davis, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on December 31, 2016. Duncan's judicial record was attacked by Democrats as being too conservative. Republicans defended him, pointing out his academic and legal achievements and pointing out that he was rated "Well Qualified" by the American Bar Association. Republican Senator
John Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
withheld his blue slip, stating that Duncan had not lived in Louisiana for years and calling into question his support for Duncan's nomination. On November 29, 2017, a hearing was held on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kennedy was impressed by Duncan's testimony and announced his support the following day. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Duncan to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a party-line 11–10 vote. On April 24, 2018, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 50–47. *
Cory T. Wilson Cory Todd Wilson (born August 8, 1970) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Wilson was previously a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals and a member of t ...
: On August 28, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Wilson to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. On October 15, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Wilson to the seat vacated by Judge Louis Guirola Jr., who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 23, 2018. On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 6, 2020, his renomination was sent to the Senate. A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on January 8, 2020. During his confirmation hearing, Wilson's past comments on social media about President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
,
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
and
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...
were scrutinized, as well as his previous stances as a state legislator regarding abortion, LGBT rights, the
Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
, and voting rights. On May 4, 2020, Trump withdrew Wilson's nomination to the district court and nominated him to a seat on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (in case citations, 5th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * Eastern District of Louisiana * M ...
. On June 24, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 52–48. Taylor B. McNeel was later nominated to the district court seat in Wilson's place and subsequently confirmed.


United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of ...

* John K. Bush (of
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
): On May 8, 2017, Trump announced that he would nominate prominent Louisville lawyer Bush to the seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated by Judge
Danny Julian Boggs Danny Julian Boggs (born October 23, 1944) is an American attorney and a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He was appointed to the court in 1986 and served as its Chief judge from S ...
who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on February 28, 2017. On a questionnaire submitted to the committee, Bush acknowledged that between 2007 and 2016, he had pseudonymously authored approximately 400 blog posts on ''Elephants in the Bluegrass'', a blog founded by his wife, Bridget. His blog posts espoused conservative political views and expressed opposition to gay marriage, the
Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
, public financing of political campaigns, and the idea of trying terrorists in civilian courts. Bush also compared
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
to
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
, calling the topics "the two greatest tragedies in our country." When questioned about his blogging during his judicial nomination process, Bush said that "my personal views are irrelevant to the position for which I have been nominated" and that "Blogging is a political activity. It is not appropriate to bring politics to the bench." On July 20, 2017, the United States Senate voted 51–47 to confirm him, both votes breaking along party lines. *
Chad Readler Chad Andrew Readler (; born August 23, 1972)Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
): On June 7, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Readler to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On June 18, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Readler to the seat being vacated by Judge
Deborah L. Cook Deborah Louise Cook (born February 8, 1952) is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, based in Akron, Ohio. She served as a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 1995 to 2003. Backgrou ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
in March 2019. In June 2018, U.S. Senator
Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell Brown (; born November 9, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Ohio, a seat which he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Ohio's ...
said he did not plan to return a
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
for Readler's nomination, while U.S. Senator
Rob Portman Robert Jones Portman (born December 19, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from Ohio since 2011. A member of the Republican Party ...
said he planned to support Readler's nomination. On October 10, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. During his confirmation proceedings, Democrats criticized Readler for having supported a Republican lawsuit aimed at dismantling the
Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...
, including its protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. He was renominated on January 23, 2019. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On March 6, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 52–47.


United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts: * Central District of Illinois * Northern District of Il ...

*
Michael B. Brennan Michael Brian Brennan (born 1963) is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He was first nominated on August 3, 2017, by President Donald Trump, and was re-nominated in 2018. He was confir ...
(of
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
): On August 3, 2017, Trump nominated Brennan, a former Judge on the
Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...
Circuit Court, to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge Terence T. Evans, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on January 17, 2010. Upon the announcement of his nomination, Senator
Ron Johnson Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American accountant, businessman, and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Republican, Johnson was first elected to the U.S. Se ...
praised the nomination. However, Senator
Tammy Baldwin Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms in the Wisconsin Stat ...
criticized Trump for bypassing the bipartisan commission composed to vet potential judicial candidates. She withheld her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
, but the nomination proceeded anyway. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Brennan to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. On February 15, the Judiciary Committee voted 11–10 along party lines to report Brennan to the Senate floor, over the strenuous objections of Democrats on the committee. On May 10, 2018 his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 49–46.


United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: * Eastern District of Arkansas * Western Dis ...

* L. Steven Grasz (of
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
): On August 3, 2017, Trump nominated Grasz to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge William J. Riley, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on June 30, 2017. In October 2017, the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
's
Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academ ...
, a nonpartisan entity which rates judicial nominees, unanimously voted to give Grasz a "not qualified" rating for the position. Senator
Ben Sasse Benjamin Eric Sasse ( ; born February 22, 1972) is an American politician and academic administrator serving as the junior United States senator for Nebraska since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party. Born in Plainview, Nebraska, Sass ...
(R-NE) criticized the ABA for their decision, defending Grasz and saying the ABA's rating was based on politics. On December 7, 2017, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–9 vote. On December 12, 2017, the Senate voted 50–48 in favor of confirmation; the vote was along party lines with Senators
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
and
Thad Cochran William Thad Cochran (; December 7, 1937 – May 30, 2019) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States Senator for Mississippi from 1978 until his resignation due to health issues in 2018. A Republican, he previously s ...
abstaining from the vote. *
David Stras David Ryan Stras (born July 4, 1974) is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He is a former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Early life and education Stras was born in 1974 ...
(of
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
): On May 8, 2017, Trump nominated Stras, an Associate Justice on the
Minnesota Supreme Court The Minnesota Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center. History The court wa ...
, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated by Judge Diana E. Murphy who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on November 29, 2016. The state's then-junior U.S. Senator,
Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minne ...
, turned in her blue slip, but on September 5, 2017, Minnesota's then-senior U.S. Senator,
Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...
, announced that he would not return his
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
for Stras. Franken stated that while he had nothing personally against Stras, the White House had not adequately consulted him about the nomination and added that he wanted to prevent the White House from achieving a "right wing" takeover of the Federal Judiciary. On November 16, Franken was accused of making unwanted sexual advances to a talk show hostess, and that was followed by other similar accusations from other women. On November 29, 2017, a hearing was held on Stras's nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On December 7, Franken announced that he would resign from the Senate effective January 2, 2018. He was replaced by Democrat
Tina Smith Christine Elizabeth Smith (née Flint, born March 4, 1958) is an American politician, retired Democratic political consultant, and former businesswoman serving as the junior United States senator from Minnesota since 2018. She is a member of the ...
. On January 3, 2018, Stras's nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Stras to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–8 vote, with
Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minne ...
, voting in support. On January 30, 2018, his nomination was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 56–42. * Jonathan A. Kobes (of
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
): On June 11, 2018, Kobes, a former top aide to U.S. Senator
Mike Rounds Marion Michael Rounds (born October 24, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Dakota since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 31st governor of South Dakota ...
, was nominated to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He quickly drew opposition from liberal interest groups and Democrats, who claimed that some of his prior clients showed ideological bias and that he didn't have enough courtroom experience. Their cause was aided when the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
rated Kobes as "Unqualified." Republicans denounced the rating, claiming that the lead attorney evaluating nominees for the 8th Circuit was politically motivated and biased. On December 11, 2018, the Senate voted 51–50 to confirm Kobes, with Vice President
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
casting the tie-breaking vote.


United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...

*
Eric D. Miller Eric David Miller (born 1975) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Early life and education Miller was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He studied ...
(of
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
): On July 13, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Miller to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On July 19, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Miller to the seat vacated by Judge
Richard C. Tallman Richard Charles Tallman (born March 3, 1953) is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and a former Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Early l ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 3, 2018. Neither of Washington's two U.S. senators, Democrats
Maria Cantwell Maria Ellen Cantwell (; born October 13, 1958) is an American politician and former businesswoman serving as the junior United States senator from Washington since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the Washington ...
and
Patty Murray Patricia Lynn Murray (; born October 11, 1950) is an American politician and educator who is the senior United States senator from Washington since 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Murray was in the Washington State Senate from 1988 to ...
, returned their blue slips for Miller. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a party-line 12–10 vote. On February 26, 2019, the Senate voted to confirm Miller by a party-line 53–46 vote. Miller became the first federal appeals court judge in over a century not to receive a blue slip from at least one home state senator. *
Daniel Bress Daniel Aaron Bress (born 1979) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Early life and education Bress was raised in Gilroy, California. He studi ...
(of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
): On January 30, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Bress to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On February 6, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He has been nominated to the seat vacated by
Alex Kozinski Alex Kozinski (; born July 23, 1950) is a Romanian-American jurist and lawyer who was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1985 to 2017. He was a prominent and inf ...
, who retired on December 18, 2017. In May 2019, the confirmation hearing for Bress devolved into a debate about Bress' geographic roots. Bress, a native of
Gilroy, California Gilroy is a city in Northern California's Santa Clara County, south of Morgan Hill and north of San Benito County. Gilroy is the southernmost city in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a population of 56,766 as of the 2019 U.S. Census Projection ...
, moved to Washington D.C. approximately ten years ago in order for his wife to pursue her career. On June 20, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a party-line vote of 12–10. On July 9, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 53–45. * Patrick J. Bumatay (of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
): On October 10, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Bumatay to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Both
U.S. senators The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...
from California,
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she was ...
and
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
, announced their opposition to his nomination. On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Bumatay to the seat vacated by Judge
Alex Kozinski Alex Kozinski (; born July 23, 1950) is a Romanian-American jurist and lawyer who was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1985 to 2017. He was a prominent and inf ...
, who retired on December 18, 2017. The decision to move forward with his nomination to the appeals court angered California Senator
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she was ...
, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Feinstein claims that she was not consulted about his nomination, he was never mentioned as a potential nominee, and she claimed he had no judicial experience, therefore, she was planning to withhold her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. Trump later nominated
Daniel Bress Daniel Aaron Bress (born 1979) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Early life and education Bress was raised in Gilroy, California. He studi ...
in Bumatay's place, who was subsequently confirmed, while Bumatay was instead nominated to the
United States District Court for the Southern District of California The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appe ...
to the seat vacated by judge Marilyn L. Huff, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on September 30, 2016. On October 15, 2019, Trump withdrew Bumatay's nomination to the district court and nominated him to the seat being vacated by
Carlos Bea Carlos Tiburcio Bea (born April 18, 1934) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was appointed to that court by President George W. Bush in 2003 to replace Judge Charles Edward Wi ...
, who planned to take senior status upon the confirmation of his successor. Todd W. Robinson was later nominated to the district court seat in Bumatay's place and subsequently confirmed. On November 21, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On December 10, 2019, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 53–40 vote. Bumatay is the first Filipino American to serve as an Article III federal appellate judge. Bumatay is gay and was the second LGBT person to be nominated by Trump to a federal judicial position. *
Lawrence VanDyke Lawrence James Christopher VanDyke (born 1972) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is a former solicitor general of Nevada and Montana. Earl ...
(of
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
): On September 20, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate VanDyke to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Nevada Senators
Jacky Rosen Jacklyn Sheryl Rosen (née Spektor; born August 2, 1957) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Nevada since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the U.S. representative for Nevada's 3rd congression ...
and
Catherine Cortez Masto Catherine Marie Cortez Masto (born March 29, 1964) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Nevada, a seat she has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Cortez Masto served as the 32nd ...
, both Democrats, announced their disappointment in the nomination. The nomination was to the seat being vacated by Judge
Jay Bybee Jay Scott Bybee (born October 27, 1953) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has published numerous articles in law journals and has taug ...
, who previously announced his intention to take
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on December 31, 2019. VanDyke received a "not qualified" rating from the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
. ABA evaluators conducted 60 anonymous interviews with lawyers, judges, and others who had worked with VanDyke. The ABA published a scathing critique of VanDyke in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee; that letter asserted that interviewees described VanDyke as "'arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking in knowledge of the day-to-day practice'" of law. The ABA added that "'There was a theme that the nominee lacks humility, has an 'entitlement' temperament, does not have an open mind, and does not always have a commitment to being candid and truthful'". The ABA also raised "concerns about whether Mr. VanDyke would be fair to persons who are gay, lesbian, or otherwise part of the LGBTQ community, adding that "Mr. VanDyke would not say affirmatively that he would be fair to any litigant before him, notably members of the LGBTQ community." On October 30, 2019, a hearing on VanDyke's nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. Most of the two-hour hearing was focused on VanDyke's record on LGBTQ issues. During his confirmation hearing, VanDyke was asked, "Did you say that you wouldn't be fair to members of the LGBTQ community?" VanDyke broke down in tears, denying the accusation: "'I did not say that. I do not believe that. It is a fundamental belief of mine that all people are created in the image of God and they should all be treated with dignity and respect'". Senator
Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...
(D-Vt), questioned VanDyke about an opinion editorial he wrote in 2004 while a student at Harvard Law noting that same-sex marriage may be harmful for children. VanDyke stated that his views had changed since that time. VanDyke said that during a three-hour meeting with the ABA, the ABA evaluator told him that she was in a "hurry" and did not give him the opportunity to fully respond to concerns. The ABA acknowledged that the lead ABA evaluator assigned to VanDyke, Montana attorney Marcia Davenport, contributed $150 to VanDyke's opponent in a 2014 Montana Supreme Court election. On November 21, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On December 11, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 51–44.


United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (in case citations, 11th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following U.S. district courts: * Middle District of Alabama * Northern District of Alabama * ...

* Andrew L. Brasher (of
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
): On November 6, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Brasher to serve as a
United States circuit judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...
for the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. On November 21, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Brasher to the seat to be vacated by Judge
Edward Earl Carnes Edward Earl Carnes (born June 3, 1950) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Education and legal career Carnes received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ala ...
, who previously announced his intention to take
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on a date to be determined. A hearing on his nomination before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
was held on December 4, 2019. On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. Later that day, he was re-nominated to the same seat. The
National Urban League The National Urban League, formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan historic civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of economic and social justice for African Am ...
and the
NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...
urged the Senate to reject his nomination to the Eleventh Circuit. On January 16, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On February 11, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 52–43.


District court nominees


Failed nominees


United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama (in case citations, M.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appeal ...

*
Brett Talley Brett Joseph Talley (born 1981) is an American lawyer and author who served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice. In September 2017, he was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill a vacancy on the United States ...
: In September 2017, he was nominated by Trump to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. His nomination drew controversy due to his lack of courtroom or judicial experience, partisan personal blogging, and failure to disclose that he was married to Ann Donaldson, the Chief of Staff to White House Counsel
Don McGahn Donald Francis McGahn II (; born June 16, 1968) is an American lawyer who served as White House Counsel for U.S. President Donald Trump, from the day of Trump's inauguration through October 17, 2018, when McGahn resigned. Previously, McGahn serv ...
. He became the third judicial nominee since 1989 to receive a unanimous rating of "not qualified" from the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
. On December 13, 2017, Talley withdrew his name from consideration for the appointment. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. Trump later nominated Andrew L. Brasher in Talley's place, and Brasher was confirmed on May 1, 2019. * Edmund G. LaCour Jr.: On May 20, 2020, the Trump White House announced that it would nominate state Solicitor General LaCour to be a Judge on the District Court. The nomination drew objections from Democrats and progressives, claiming that LaCour was partisan and ideologically biased, noting his past clients and membership in the
Federalist Society The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (abbreviated as FedSoc) is an American conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Headquartered ...
. In response, Senator Doug Jones refused to turn in the
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to LaCour's nomination.


United States District Court for the District of Alaska The United States District Court for the District of Alaska (in case citations, D. Alaska) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the F ...

* Jon Katchen: On April 10, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Katchen to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. On April 12, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge
Ralph Beistline Ralph Robert Beistline (born December 6, 1948) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. Education and career Born in Fairbanks, Alaska, Beistline received a Bachelor of Arts degre ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on December 31, 2015. His nomination was referred to the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. In August 2018, Katchen withdrew his name from consideration, citing the uncertainty of the nomination process and timing. Trump later nominated Joshua M. Kindred in Katchen's place, and Kindred was confirmed on February 12, 2020.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (in case citations, E.D. Tex.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Fifth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. ...

*
Jeff Mateer Jeffrey Carl Mateer is an American lawyer. From 2016 to 2020, he served as First Assistant Attorney General of Texas. In September 2017, he was nominated by President Donald Trump to become a United States district judge of the United States D ...
: On September 7, 2017, Trump nominated Mateer to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, to the seat vacated by Judge
Richard A. Schell Richard Alexander Schell (born March 10, 1950) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Education and career Born in Dallas, Texas, Schell received a Bachelor of Arts degree ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 10, 2015. Mateer was recommended to the White House by Senators
John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Senate majority whip for ...
and
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
. After Mateer's remarks about transgender kids being part of "Satan's plan" and his support for
conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cli ...
were publicized in late September 2017,
John Cornyn John Cornyn III ( ; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Senate majority whip for ...
, a Republican Senator from Texas and
Senate Majority Whip The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding t ...
, expressed skepticism about Mateer's suitability to sit on the federal bench. Cornyn and members of a committee that screens Texas judicial candidates said that Mateer had not disclosed the statements. Senator Cruz said that he still supported Mateer's nomination. On December 14, 2017, Mateer withdrew himself from consideration. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. Trump later nominated Sean D. Jordan in Mateer's place, and Jordan was confirmed on July 30, 2019.


United States District Court for the District of Columbia The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles (jointly with the United States District Court for the District of ...

* Matthew S. Petersen: on September 7, 2017, Trump nominated
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
er Petersen to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, to the seat vacated by Judge
Richard W. Roberts Richard Warren Roberts (born 1953) is an inactive United States federal judge, Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Early life Roberts was born in New York City, New York (state), ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 16, 2016. On December 13, 2017, during his confirmation hearing before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
Senator
John Neely Kennedy John Neely Kennedy (born November 21, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Louisiana since 2017. He served as the Louisiana State Treasurer from 2000 to 2017. Kennedy has been a memb ...
(R-LA) questioned Petersen about legal procedure, asking if Petersen knew what the
Daubert standard In United States federal law, the ''Daubert'' standard is a rule of evidence regarding the admissibility of expert witness testimony. A party may raise a ''Daubert'' motion, a special motion ''in limine'' raised before or during trial, to exclude ...
was, and what a motion ''in limine'' was. He was unable to answer. Petersen's answers received criticism in the press and from lawmakers. ''The New York Times'' described it as one of the "more painful Senate hearings in recent memory." Petersen withdrew himself from consideration on December 16, 2017. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. Trump later nominated
Carl J. Nichols Carl John Nichols (born June 25, 1970) is a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Biography Nichols received a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from Dartmouth Colle ...
in Petersen's place, and Nichols was confirmed on May 22, 2019.


United States District Court for the Northern District of New York The United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (in case citations, N.D.N.Y.) serves one of the 94 judicial districts in the United States and one of four in the state of New York. Appeals from the Northern District of New ...

* Thomas Marcelle: On October 10, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Marcelle to serve as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Marcelle was nominated to the seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York vacated by Judge Gary L. Sharpe, who took senior status on January 1, 2016. On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate. On January 3, 2019, Marcelle's nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced that he had renominated Marcelle. On August 29, 2019, Marcelle had withdrawn his name from consideration after his nomination was blocked by U.S. Sen.
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Re ...
due to his perceived opposition to abortion. The White House officially withdrew his nomination on September 19, 2019. Trump later nominated Ryan T. McAllister in Marcelle's place. * Ryan T. McAllister: On August 12, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate McAllister to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the Northern District of New York The United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (in case citations, N.D.N.Y.) serves one of the 94 judicial districts in the United States and one of four in the state of New York. Appeals from the Northern District of New ...
. On September 8, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. A former aide to
New York Governor The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a ...
George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. An attorney by profession, Pataki was elected mayor of his hometown of Peekskill, New York, and went on ...
and
Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
John Faso John James Faso Jr. (born August 25, 1952) is an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2017 to 2019. Faso was first elected to the post in 2016. A Republican, Faso previously represented the 102nd distr ...
, McAllister drew attacks from progressives and Democrats, who claimed that his experience was too political in nature and that he couldn't be objective on the bench. McAllister had been nominated after Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Re ...
had withheld her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to the nomination of Thomas Marcelle to this post. McAllister had been part of a bipartisan package of judicial nominees and at first New York's Democratic U.S. senators, Gillibrand and
Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
, grudgingly acquiesced to his nomination in exchange for the nominations of
Jennifer H. Rearden Jennifer Hutchison Rearden (born 1970) is an American lawyer from New York (state), New York who is serving as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ...
and Hector Gonzalez. But after the nomination of
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
shortly before the 2020 presidential election, Schumer and Gillibrand refused to turn in their blue slips in retaliation, leaving his nomination stalled.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina The United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (in case citations, E.D.N.C.) is the United States district court that serves the eastern 44 counties in North Carolina. Appeals from the Eastern District of North Caroli ...

* Thomas Alvin Farr: On July 13, 2017, Trump nominated Farr to serve as a United States District Judge of the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina The United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (in case citations, E.D.N.C.) is the United States district court that serves the eastern 44 counties in North Carolina. Appeals from the Eastern District of North Caroli ...
, to the seat vacated by Judge
Malcolm Jones Howard Malcolm Jones Howard (born June 24, 1939) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Education and career Born in Kinston, North Carolina, Howard received a Bachelor ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on December 31, 2005. On September 20, 2017, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On October 19, 2017, his nomination was reported out of committee by a roll call vote of 11–9. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Farr to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote. On November 28, 2018, the Senate voted 51–50 in favor of
cloture Cloture (, also ), closure or, informally, a guillotine, is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. ...
, with Vice President
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
casting the tie-breaking vote. The following day, Republican senators
Jeff Flake Jeffry Lane Flake (born December 31, 1962) is an American politician and diplomat who is the current U.S Ambassador to Turkey. A member of the Republican Party, Flake served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013 and ...
of
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
and
Tim Scott Timothy Eugene Scott (born September 19, 1965) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Carolina since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate by Go ...
of
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
affirmed their opposition to his nomination, with all 49 Democratic senators opposed as well, all but assuring that his nomination will be rejected. Farr's nomination was opposed by the
Congressional Black Caucus The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce ...
due to Farr's role as a lawyer defending North Carolina voting restrictions which were struck down by a court as racially biased. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Farr said that he disagreed with the 4th Circuit panel's ruling and that "at the time our clients enacted those laws, I do not believe that they thought that were purposefully discriminating against African Americans." He said that if he is confirmed to the federal judiciary, he would follow the 4th Circuit's ruling. In 2019, the White House did not renominate Farr. Trump later nominated Richard E. Myers II in Farr's place, and Myers was confirmed on December 5, 2019.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin (in case citations, E.D. Wis.) is a federal trial court of limited jurisdiction. The court is under the auspices of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, ...

* Gordon P. Giampietro: On December 20, 2017, Trump nominated Giampietro to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, to the seat vacated by Judge
Rudolph T. Randa Rudolph Thomas Randa (July 25, 1940September 5, 2016) was an American judge. He was a United States district judge in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for the last 24 years of his life. He was Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Wisconsin ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on February 5, 2016. On February 15, 2018, the web site
BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
reported that Giampietro had made negative remarks about "calls for diversity", birth control, and gay marriage in blog comments and radio interviews. A spokesman for U.S. Senator
Tammy Baldwin Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Wisconsin since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she served three terms in the Wisconsin Stat ...
called the statements "extremely troubling" and complained that they had not been provided to the Wisconsin Federal Nominating Commission, a bipartisan commission which vets federal judicial nominees. In response, Giampietro released his application to the Wisconsin federal nominating commission, which shows what questions he was asked by the state's federal nominating commission and the answers that he provided. Giampietro's supporters, including the Catholic League, have said they believe criticisms of his past comments have to do with his Catholic faith. In response, Baldwin withheld her blue slip. In 2019, the White House did not renominate him. Trump later nominated Brett H. Ludwig in Giampietro's place, and Ludwig was confirmed on September 9, 2020.


Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...
,
Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...
, and
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
Districts of Oklahoma

*
John M. O'Connor John Michael O'Connor (born December 5, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 19th attorney general of Oklahoma between 2021 and 2023. O’Connor was previously a shareholder of Hall Estill and a nominee to be a United ...
: On April 10, 2018, Trump nominated O'Connor to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Courts of
Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...
,
Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...
, and
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
districts of Oklahoma. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge James H. Payne, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on August 1, 2017. On July 11, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. During his hearings Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
said the Judiciary Committee should not have moved forward with O'Connor's nomination before the ABA released its rating. On August 21, 2018, the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
rated O'Connor "not qualified." Two complaints about O'Connor had been filed with the
Oklahoma Bar Association The Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. History The Oklahoma Territory Bar Association and the Indian Territory Bar Association merged in 1904 to form the Oklahoma Bar Ass ...
, although neither complaint resulted in public discipline and he remains an attorney in good standing. He was not renominated in 2019, and withdrew his name for consideration for re-nomination on April 12, 2019. Trump later nominated John F. Heil III in O'Connor's place, and Heil was confirmed on May 20, 2020.


United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan (in case citations, W.D. Mich.) is the federal district court with jurisdiction over of the western portion of the state of Michigan, including the entire Upper Peninsula and t ...

* Michael S. Bogren: On March 8, 2019, Trump agreed to nominate Borgen as a Federal Trial Judge at the urging of U.S. Senators
Debbie Stabenow Deborah Ann Stabenow ( ; née Greer, born April 29, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Michigan, a seat she has held since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she became the state's first female ...
and
Gary Peters Gary Charles Peters Sr. (born December 1, 1958) is an American lawyer, politician, and former military officer serving as the junior United States senator from Michigan since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representativ ...
. However, his nomination drew criticism from Republicans and conservatives. A particular point of contention was when Bogren represented the city of
East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...
, which barred two married Christian farmers from selling his goods at the local farmers' market because after they refused to a host a same-sex marriage on their farm citing religious beliefs. While making his case, Bogren equated the farmers to the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
and radical Muslims who oppose letting women drive. While Bogren claimed he was merely defending his client, his critics said his remarks went far beyond the bounds of fair comment and showed anti-Christian bias, thus proving that he did not have the temperament to judge cases impartially. On June 11, 2019, Bogren withdrew his nomination. The White House formally sent a notice of the withdrawal of Bogren's nomination to the Senate on June 26, 2019. Trump later nominated
Hala Y. Jarbou Hala Yalda Jarbou (born 1971) is the United States federal judge, Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. She is the first Chaldean federal judge. Education Jarbou earned h ...
in Bogren's place, and Jarbou was confirmed on September 10, 2020.


United States District Court for the District of New Mexico The United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (in case citations, D.N.M.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of New Mexico. Court is held in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Roswell, Santa ...

* Kevin R. Sweazea: On May 29, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Sweazea to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. On June 12, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Sweazea to the seat vacated by Judge
Robert C. Brack Robert Charles Brack (born March 2, 1953) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Education and career Born in Lynwood, California, Brack received a Bachelor of Arts degree f ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on July 25, 2018. On October 29, 2019 it was announced that Sweazea withdrew his nomination after New Mexico's two senators,
Tom Udall Thomas Stewart Udall ( ; born May 18, 1948) is an American diplomat, lawyer and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from N ...
and
Martin Heinrich Martin Trevor Heinrich (; born October 17, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Mexico, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Heinrich served as the U.S. ...
, withdrew their initial support for him. His nomination was returned on January 3, 2020. Trump later nominated
Fred Joseph Federici III Fred Joseph Federici III (born 1965) is an American attorney who formerly served as the acting United States attorney for the District of New Mexico. He was previously a nominee to be a United States district judge of the United States District ...
in Sweazea's place. *
Fred Joseph Federici III Fred Joseph Federici III (born 1965) is an American attorney who formerly served as the acting United States attorney for the District of New Mexico. He was previously a nominee to be a United States district judge of the United States District ...
: On May 28, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Federici to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, after being recommended by a bipartisan commission set up by New Mexico's two U.S. senators. On June 18, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. A career federal lawyer with 25 years of experience, Federici drew no controversy. But in mid-September 2020, both senators,
Tom Udall Thomas Stewart Udall ( ; born May 18, 1948) is an American diplomat, lawyer and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from N ...
and
Martin Heinrich Martin Trevor Heinrich (; born October 17, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Mexico, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Heinrich served as the U.S. ...
, withdrew their
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
s to protest the pre-election hearings of
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
weeks before the November 2020 general elections. President Biden later nominated Margaret Strickland and she was confirmed on September 21, 2021. * Brenda M. Saiz: On May 28, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Saiz to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. On June 18, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate. An experienced lawyer specializing in trucking and railroad law, Said was unanimously rated "well-qualified" by the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
and drew no controversy. But in mid-September 2020, both senators,
Tom Udall Thomas Stewart Udall ( ; born May 18, 1948) is an American diplomat, lawyer and politician serving as the United States Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from N ...
and
Martin Heinrich Martin Trevor Heinrich (; born October 17, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Mexico, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Heinrich served as the U.S. ...
, withdrew the
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
s to protest the pre-election hearings of
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
weeks before the November 2020 general elections.


United States District Court for the Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a Federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, m ...

*
Jeremy B. Rosen Donald Trump, President of the United States from 2017 to 2021, entered office with a significant number of judicial vacancies, including a Supreme Court vacancy due to the death of Antonin Scalia in February 2016. During the first eight months ...
: On October 10, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Rosen to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Democrats claimed that Rosen was a conservative ideologue. Rosen's supporters pointed out that he is a well-regarded appellate lawyer and that many Democrats in the California legal community support him. On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
refused to turn in her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to the nomination. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated Judge Hernán D. Vera in Rosen's place. * Rick Richmond: On August 28, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Richmond to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On October 17, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. The nomination was objected to by progressives, noting his longtime membership in the
Federalist Society The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (abbreviated as FedSoc) is an American conservative and libertarian legal organization that advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Headquartered ...
and his past contributions to Republicans seeking elective office, including President. U.S. Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
withheld her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
from the nomination, leaving his nomination stalled. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated Judge
Sherilyn Peace Garnett Sherilyn Peace Garnett (née Sherilyn Rosa Lee Peace, born 1969) is an American attorney who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. She served as a judge of the Los Ang ...
in Richmond's place and she was confirmed on April 27, 2022. * Sandy N. Leal: On August 28, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Orange County Superior Court Judge Leal to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Her nomination was part of a bipartisan package of nominees which included Shireen Matthews, who was recommended by Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
. On October 17, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Leal to the seat vacated by Judge
Christina A. Snyder Christina Ann Snyder (born May 27, 1947) is a United States federal judge, senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Early life and education Snyder was born on May 27, 1947 ...
, who took senior status on November 23, 2016. Leal's nomination drew no strong objections, but Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
refused to submit her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to the nomination, leaving it stalled. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated
Los Angeles County Superior Court The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The ...
Judge
Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong ( Maame Abena Famanyame Ewusi-Mensah; born 1976) is an American attorney and judge serving as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of ...
in Leal's place and she was confirmed on December 17, 2021.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of California The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (in case citations, E.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appeal ...

* Dirk B. Paloutzian: On April 29, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Paloutzian to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. On May 21, 2020, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate. He received a rating of "well qualified" from the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
and drew no strong objections, but Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
refused to submit a
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to the nomination, leaving it stalled. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated Ana Isabel de Alba in Paloutzian's place and she was confirmed on June 21, 2022. *
James P. Arguelles James Patrick Arguelles is a California state court judge who is a former nominee to be a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Education Arguelle ...
: On June 8, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate
Sacramento County Superior Court The Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, alternatively called the Sacramento County Superior Court, is the California Superior Court located in Sacramento with jurisdiction over Sacramento County. Courthouses Gordon D. Schaber ...
Judge Arguelles to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. On June 18, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Arguelles did not generate any strong objections, but Senator
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
refused to submit a
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to the nomination, leaving it stalled. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated Judge
Jennifer L. Thurston Jennifer Leigh Thurston (born 1967) is an American judge who is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. She previously served as the Chief United States magistrate judge of the s ...
in Arguelles' place and she was confirmed on December 17, 2021.


United States District Court for the Southern District of California The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appe ...

*
Adam L. Braverman Adam Lorne Braverman (born 1975) is an associate deputy attorney general at the United States Department of Justice who is a former nominee to be a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Cali ...
: On August 28, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate former
U.S. Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...
Braverman to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the Southern District of California The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appe ...
. On October 17, 2019, his nomination was sent to the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
. His nomination drew condemnation from
progressive Progressive may refer to: Politics * Progressivism, a political philosophy in support of social reform ** Progressivism in the United States, the political philosophy in the American context * Progressive realism, an American foreign policy par ...
s, who condemned him for implementing the zero-tolerance policy towards
illegal aliens Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...
ordered by then-Attorney General
Jeff Sessions Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 84th United States Attorney General from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as United State ...
. Others attacked Braverman for pursuing federal marijuana-related cases, even in jurisdictions where they were legal under state laws. Braverman and his supporters claimed he was just following the law. In response,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
refused to turn in her
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
consenting to the nomination, leaving it stalled. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated Federal Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez and she was confirmed on December 17, 2021. * Shireen Matthews: On August 28, 2019,
President Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
announced his intent to nominate Matthews to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the Southern District of California The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appe ...
. On October 17, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Matthews to the seat vacated by Judge
Barry Ted Moskowitz Barry Ted Moskowitz (born August 17, 1950) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Education and career Born in Paterson, New Jersey, Moskowitz received a Bachelor of ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on January 23, 2019. Matthews was nominated as part of a bipartisan package of nominees which included Adam Braverman and Rick Richmond. A registered Democrat and former Federal prosecutor with an apolitical record, she personally generated no controversy. However, Senators
Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she was ...
and
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...
withdrew support for the package in late 2020 to protest the nomination of
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
shortly before the 2020 general elections, so the Senate never voted on her nomination. President Joe Biden later nominated
Jinsook Ohta Jinsook Ohta (née Jin Sook Lee, born 1976) is an American attorney and United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. She previously served as a judge on the San Diego County Superior Co ...
in Matthews' place and she was confirmed on December 17, 2021.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (in case citations, E.D.N.Y.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction spans five counties in New York State: the four Long Island counties of Nassau, S ...

*
David C. Woll Jr. David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
: On August 12, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Woll to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. On September 8, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. Woll immediately drew opposition. In 2007, Woll had been one of the attorneys hired by DOJ attorney
Monica Goodling Monica Marie Goodling (born August 6, 1973) is a former United States government lawyer and Republican political appointee in the George W. Bush administration who is best known for her role in the Dismissal of U.S. Attorneys Controversy in 2006. ...
as part of a politicized hiring process she conducted, though he personally wasn't accused of wrongdoing. He also worked at the
HUD Hud or HUD may refer to: Entertainment * ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman * ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film * ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program Places * Hud, Far ...
, and was accused of improperly withholding aid to
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
after a hurricane and failing to comply with a congressional subpoena on the topic on schedule. In response, New York's U.S. senators,
Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
and
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Re ...
, refused to turn in
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
s consenting to his nomination. His nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated
Nina Morrison Nina Morrison (born 13 December 2000) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Geelong Football Club#AFL Women's team, Geelong Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). A midfielder who won multiple accolades at junior level and played ...
in Woll's place, who was confirmed on June 8, 2022. * Saritha Komatireddy: On February 12, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Komatireddy to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Komatireddy was nominated as part of a bipartisan package of nominees which included
Jennifer H. Rearden Jennifer Hutchison Rearden (born 1970) is an American lawyer from New York (state), New York who is serving as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ...
. A career Justice Department lawyer, Komatireddy drew no strong objections. But after President Trump nominated
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
for the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
shortly before the 2020 Presidential election, New York's two Democratic U.S. senators,
Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
and
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Re ...
, withdrew their
blue slip Blue slip or blue-slipping refers to two distinct legislative procedures in the United States Congress. In the House of Representatives, it is the rejection slip given to tax and spending bills sent to it by the Senate that did not originate in ...
s for Komatireddy and some of Trump's other nominees for New York. Her nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. President Joe Biden later nominated
Nusrat Jahan Choudhury Nusrat Jahan Choudhury ( bn, নুসরাত জাহান চৌধুরী; born 1976) is a Bangladeshi American lawyer and nominee to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District o ...
in Komatireddy's place.


United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a United States district court, federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York (state), New York ...

* Iris Lan: On November 6, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Lan to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a United States district court, federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York (state), New York ...
. On December 2, 2019, her nomination was sent to the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
, and on January 3, 2020, it was returned to the Senate per normal protocol. A well-respected justice department lawyer with an apolitical record, Lan was unanimously rated as "Well-Qualified" by the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
, and considered a consensus nominee. On May 4, 2020, her renomination was sent to the Senate, along with the nomination of two other New York-area District Judge nominees, Jennifer Rearden and Saritha Komatireddy, the president's intention to nominate both of whom was announced on February 12, 2020, to create a package for blue-slip consideration.  Their nominations are currently pending before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. However, in light of the Presidential election, the New York Senators stopped returning blue slips for nominees, stalling pending nominees. Her nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. On September 30, 2021, President Biden nominated Dale Ho in Lan's place. *
Jennifer H. Rearden Jennifer Hutchison Rearden (born 1970) is an American lawyer from New York (state), New York who is serving as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ...
: On February 12, 2020,
President Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
announced his intent to nominate Rearden to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a United States district court, federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York (state), New York ...
. She was strongly recommended by U.S. Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as member of the U.S. House of Re ...
and the White House nominated her as part of a bipartisan package of nominees. On May 4, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Rearden to the seat vacated by Judge
Richard J. Sullivan Richard Joseph Sullivan (born April 10, 1964) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was formerly a United States district judge of the United States Di ...
, who was elevated to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...
on October 25, 2018. However, after the nomination of
Amy Coney Barrett Amy Vivian Coney Barrett (born January 28, 1972) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The fifth woman to serve on the court, she was nominated by President Donald Trump and has served since October 27, 2020. S ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
, Gillibrand and
Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
withdrew their support for the Republican nominees in the package in protest, so the Republican-controlled Senate did not act on Readen's nomination. Her nomination was returned at the end of the
116th United States Congress The 116th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2019, and ended on Januar ...
. On January 19, 2022, she was renominated by President Biden to the same seat and confirmed on September 8, 2022.


Confirmed nominees


United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee The United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee (in case citations, W.D. Tenn.) is the federal district court covering the western part of the state of Tennessee. Appeals from the Western District of Tennessee are taken to ...

* Mark Norris: On July 13, 2017, Trump nominated Norris to the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, to the seat vacated by Judge
J. Daniel Breen John Daniel Breen (born July 10, 1950) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Education and career Breen was born in Jackson, Tennessee. He received a Bachelor of Arts ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 18, 2017. Prior to his appointment, Norris was publicly considering a candidacy for governor of Tennessee in 2018.Joel Ebert
Sen. Mark Norris being vetted for appointment to federal judgeship
''USA Today'' Network (June 12, 2017).
Otis Sanford
Mark Norris has steep trek to Tennessee governorship
''Commercial Appeal'' (January 14, 2017).
Trump's nomination of Norris was supported by Republican Senator
Lamar Alexander Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. (born July 3, 1940) is a retired American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also was the 45th governor of Tennessee fro ...
of
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
, but criticized by former U.S. District Judge
Shira A. Scheindlin Shira A. Scheindlin (; born 1946) is an American attorney and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Early life and education Scheindlin was born in Washing ...
, who described Norris as one of a number of "the least qualified and most bizarre" of Trump's judicial appointments. In a ''New York Times'' op-ed, Scheindlin criticized Norris for suggesting that "being Muslim is synonymous with being a terrorist" and for leading efforts to bar local governments from removing public monuments to the Confederacy. On November 1, 2017, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. During the hearing, Norris said in response to a question from Senator
Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minne ...
that he viewed the case ''
Obergefell v. Hodges ''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ( ), is a landmark LGBT rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection ...
'' (determining that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry) as settled law. On December 7, 2017 his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–9 vote. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Norris to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. On January 18, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote. On October 11, 2018 his nomination was confirmed by the full Senate by a 51–44 vote.


United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (in case citations, W.D. Okla. or W.D. Ok.) is a federal court in the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which ...

*
Patrick Wyrick Patrick Robert Wyrick (born March 11, 1981) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and a former Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Wyrick previously served as So ...
: On April 10, 2018, Trump nominated Wyrick, an
Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.
justice, to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge
David Lynn Russell David Lynn Russell (born July 7, 1942) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on July 7, 2013. On May 23, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
, and Democratic Senator
Sheldon Whitehouse Sheldon Whitehouse (born October 20, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Rhode Island since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Attorney from 1993 to 1998 ...
questioned him about an exchange he had with U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Sonia Sotomayor Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...
during a 2015 death penalty case before the court. On June 14, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. He was confirmed on April 9, 2019 by a party-line vote of 53–47.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (in case citations, E.D. Tex.) is a federal court in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Fifth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. ...

*
J. Campbell Barker John Campbell "Cam" Barker (born 1980) is a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Education and career Barker earned his Bachelor of Science from Texa ...
: On January 23, 2018, Trump nominated Barker to the seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas vacated by Judge Leonard Davis, who retired on May 15, 2015. On May 9, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On June 7, his nomination was voted out of committee by a vote of 11–10. Opponents of Campbell's nomination included the
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (The Leadership Conference), formerly called the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, is an umbrella group of American civil rights interest groups. Organizational history The Leadership Con ...
and Democratic Senator
Chris Coons Christopher Andrew Coons (born September 9, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Delaware since 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, Coons served as the county executive of New Castle Cou ...
. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Barker for a federal judgeship. His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. He was confirmed by the Senate on May 1, 2019, by a 51–47 vote. * Michael J. Truncale: On January 23, 2018, Trump nominated Truncale to the seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas vacated by Judge Ron Clark, who had previously announced his decision to assume
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on February 28, 2018. On April 25, 2018 a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On May 24, 2018 his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote. Under questioning by Democratic U.S. Senator
Mazie Hirono Mazie Keiko Hirono (; Japanese name: , ; born November 3, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Hawaii since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Hirono previously served as a member of the ...
, Truncale, who previously served as an election judge in Texas, said he had personally witnessed incidents of
voter fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share of ...
. Hirono challenged him, saying that she did not believe the problem of voter fraud to be widespread. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Truncale for a federal judgeship. His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On May 14, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by the Senate in a 49–46 vote.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (in case citations, E.D. La.) is a United States federal court based in New Orleans. Appeals from the Eastern District of Louisiana are taken to the United States Court of Ap ...

*
Wendy Vitter Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...
: On January 23, 2018, Trump nominated Vitter to the seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana vacated by Judge
Helen Ginger Berrigan Helen Georgena Roberts Berrigan (born April 15, 1948), known professionally as Helen Ginger Berrigan and Ginger Berrigan, is an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisian ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on August 23, 2016. On April 11, 2018, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. During her hearing before the Judiciary Committee, Vitter was questioned closely by Democrats about her previous
anti-abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respons ...
and anti-
birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
advocacy. In her position as general counsel of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans ( la, Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, french: Archidiocèse de la Nouvelle-Orléans, es, Arquidiócesis de Nueva Orleans) is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church spanning Jefferson ...
, Vitter had promoted unsubstantiated claims about health dangers linked to the
birth control pill The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth control pill or colloquially as "the pill", is a type of birth control that is designed to be taken orally by women. The pill contains two important hormones: progest ...
. During her Senate hearing, Vitter distanced herself from these claims and promised to uphold ''
Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and st ...
''. On January 3, 2019, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Vitter for a federal judgeship. Her nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On May 16, 2019, her nomination was confirmed by a vote of 52–45.


United States District Court for the District of Utah The United States District Court for the District of Utah (in case citations, D. Utah) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Utah. The court is based in Salt Lake City with another courtroom leased in thstate courtho ...

*
Howard C. Nielson Jr. Howard Curtis Nielson Jr. (born 1968) is a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Biography Nielson was born in 1968 to Julia (née Adams) and Howard C. Nielso ...
: On September 28, 2017, Trump nominated Nielson to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah, to the seat vacated by Judge
Ted Stewart Brian Theadore "Ted" Stewart (born 1948) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah. Early life and education Born in Logan, Utah, Stewart received a Bachelor of Science degree from ...
, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on September 1, 2014. A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on January 10, 2018. On February 8, the Judiciary Committee voted for Nielson by a party-line vote of 11–10. Democrats on the committee opposed Nielson over his role in defending California's Proposition 8 and his role in reviewing two
torture memos A set of legal memoranda known as the "Torture Memos" (officially the Memorandum Regarding Military Interrogation of Alien Unlawful Combatants Held Outside The United States) were drafted by John Yoo as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the U ...
in 2004 and 2006 when he was serving as a deputy assistant general at the Office of Legal Counsel for the Justice Department. Nielson claimed that he was a junior counsel in the Proposition 8 controversy and the lead counsel made decisions on legal tactics. On March 6, 2018, Senator
Tammy Duckworth Ladda Tammy Duckworth (born March 12, 1968) is an American politician and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel serving as the junior United States senator from Illinois since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented Ill ...
put a hold on his nomination. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Nielson for a federal judgeship. His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On May 22, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 51–47.


United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri (in case citations, E.D. Mo.) is a trial level federal district court based in St. Louis, Missouri, with jurisdiction over fifty counties in the eastern half of Missouri. Th ...

*
Stephen R. Clark Sr. Stephen Robert Clark Sr. (born 1966) is the United States federal judge, Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He is the founder and former managing partner of the St. Louis ...
: On April 10, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate Clark to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. On April 12, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge
Carol E. Jackson Carol E. Jackson (born 1952) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Education and career Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Jackson received a Bachelor of Arts degree from We ...
, who retired on August 31, 2017. On July 11, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On September 13, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote. Democrats have opposed his nomination due to disagreements with Clark's positions on abortion and
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
rights. Clark stated that his statements on sensitive issues were his personal opinions and that as a judge he would follow the law and Supreme Court precedent. Republicans also pointed out that he was supported by U.S. Senator
Claire McCaskill Claire Conner McCaskill (; born July 24, 1953) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Missouri from 2007 to 2019 and as State Auditor of Missouri from 1999 to 2007. McCaskill is a native of Rolla, Missouri. She gr ...
, a Democrat from Clark's home state. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Clark for a federal judgeship. His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On May 22, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 53–45. * Sarah Pitlyk: On August 14, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Pitlyk to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. On September 9, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate. Trump nominated Pitlyk to the seat vacated by Judge Catherine D. Perry, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on December 31, 2018. On September 24, 2019, the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
(ABA) rated Pitlyk as "Not Qualified." The ABA said Pitlyk's rating was based on her lack of trial experience. The ABA's rating drew criticism and charges of ideological bias from several Republican senators. Pitlyk said one reason for her somewhat limited experience in trial and deposition work is that she has been a member of legal teams that have allowed her to arrange her schedule in order to spend more time with her children. On September 25, 2019, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. At the hearing, Democratic Senator
Dick Durbin Richard Joseph Durbin (born November 21, 1944) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Illinois, a seat he has held since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, Durbin has served as the Senate Dem ...
expressed concerns about Pitlyk's lack of trial experience, and other Democratic senators including
Richard Blumenthal Richard Blumenthal (; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of ...
asked her about her views on abortion; she responded that her personal views would not affect her work as a judge. As a lawyer, Pitlyk had argued that frozen embryos from
in vitro fertilization In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) ...
should legally be considered human beings, and she wrote an ''amicus'' brief stating that "
surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to delivery/labour for another person or people, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth. People may seek a surrogacy arrangement when pregnan ...
has grave effects on society." On October 31, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by a party-line 12–10 vote. On December 3, 2019, the Senate invoked
cloture Cloture (, also ), closure or, informally, a guillotine, is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. ...
on her nomination by a vote of 50–43, with
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
senator
Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of Co ...
casting the sole dissenting Republican vote. On December 4, 2019, her nomination was confirmed by the full Senate by a vote of 49–44.


United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (in case citations, N.D. Tex.) is a United States district court. Its first judge, Andrew Phelps McCormick, was appointed to the court on April 10, 1879. The court convenes in D ...

*
Matthew J. Kacsmaryk Matthew Joseph Kacsmaryk (; born 1977) is a United States district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He was nominated to the position by President Donald Trump in 2017 and sworn in for the position in 2019. C ...
: On September 7, 2017, Trump nominated Kacsmaryk to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, to the seat vacated by Judge
Mary Lou Robinson Mary Lou Robinson (August 26, 1926 January 26, 2019) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Education and career Born on August 26, 1926, in Dodge City, Kansas, Robinson gradua ...
, who assumed
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on February 3, 2016. On December 13, 2017 a hearing on his nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On January 3, 2018 his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 5, 2018, Trump announced his intent to renominate Kacsmaryk to a federal judgeship. On January 8, 2018, his renomination was sent to the Senate. On January 18, 2018 his nomination was reported out of committee by an 11–10 vote. Senate Democrats oppose his nomination due to his writings and negative comments on
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
rights and women's contraceptive rights. On January 3, 2019, his nomination was once again returned to the President. On January 23, 2019, Trump announced his intent to renominate Kacsmaryk for a federal judgeship. His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day. On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On June 18, 2019, the Senate voted 52–44 to invoke cloture on his nomination. On June 19, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 52–46.


United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (in case citations, M.D. Fla.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appea ...

*
Kathryn Kimball Mizelle Kathryn Kimball Mizelle (née Kathryn Anne Kimball; born 1987)Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
announced his intent to nominate Mizelle to serve as a
United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
of the
United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (in case citations, M.D. Fla.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appea ...
. On September 8, 2020, her nomination was sent to the Senate to fill the seat vacated by Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on July 12, 2020. On September 9, 2020, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On October 22, 2020, the Judiciary Committee reported her nomination by a 12–0 vote, with all Democratic senators boycotting the hearing. On November 18, 2020, her nomination was confirmed by a strict party-line vote of 49–41, She thereby joined the first group of confirmed judicial appointments tendered by a president who has lost reelection since 1896, with the single exception of
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
's appointment of
Stephen Breyer Stephen Gerald Breyer ( ; born August 15, 1938) is a retired American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton, and repl ...
to the
First Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (in case citations, 1st Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Maine * District of Massachusetts * ...
in November 1980.Senate confirms Trump’s youngest federal judge to serve in Tampa
''
Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single y ...
'', Jamal Thalji, November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
Breyer had been confirmed by a vote of 80–10. The
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
rated Mizelle "Not Qualified" to serve as a federal trial court judge, noting that "Since her admission to the bar Ms. Mizelle has not tried a case, civil or criminal, as lead or co-counsel." She was the 8th Trump appointee to the federal bench rated as "Not Qualified" by the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Before her appointment, the nominee had only taken part in two trials — both one-day trials in a state court conducted while she was still in law school. According to the ABA, Mizelle had roughly five years of trial experience at the time of her nomination; the ABA typically requires twelve years in order to give a nominee a rating of "Qualified". The ABA conceded that Mizelle "has a very keen intellect, a strong work ethic and an impressive resume ... her integrity and demeanor are not in question." But, the committee wrote, "These attributes...simply do not compensate for the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience." At the age of 33, she is the youngest judge chosen by Trump for a lifetime appointment.


United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

* J. Philip Calabrese: On February 26, 2020, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Calabrese to serve as a United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. On March 3, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. A Judge for the
Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban County (United States), county located in the Northeast Ohio, northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the Canada–United States border, U.S.- ...
Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...
and formerly a successful lawyer at a prominent
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
law firm, Calabrese was not expected to be controversial. But he came under fire from
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sa ...
groups and some progressives for doing legal work for Cavel International Inc., the last horse slaughterhouse in the United States, in seeking to block
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
regulations that would have shut down the business. Calabrese drew even more criticism for representing CEO of the Ohio coal company Murray Energy, which sued the ''
Chagrin Valley Times The ''Chagrin Valley Times'' is a Northeast Ohio weekly newspaper covering the eastern suburbs of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga and Geauga counties. The newspaper is published every Thursday and was founded in 1971. It is produced ...
'', a local newspaper, for a defamation after it criticized Murray for firing 156 employees. A federal appeals court found the lawsuit constituted legal harassment, though Calabrese was not personally accused of wrongdoing. A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on July 29, 2020, and many senators were not impressed with his testimony. On September 17, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a party-line 12–10 vote. On December 1, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by a vote of 58–35.


Article I court nominees


Confirmed nominees


United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...

* Stephen S. Schwartz: on June 7, 2017,
President Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
nominated Washington, D.C., lawyer Schwartz to serve as a United States Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims, to the seat vacated by Judge Lynn J. Bush who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on October 21, 2013. On July 25, 2017, the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
held a hearing on his nomination. Democrats criticized the nomination, claiming that Schwartz did not have enough courtroom experience to serve as a judge. His nomination was reported out of
committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...
by a vote of 11–9 on September 14, 2017. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
. On January 8, 2018, the White House renominated 21 of 26 federal judicial nominees who had been returned by the U.S. Senate. Schwartz was not among the 21 individuals who were renominated.
David A. Tapp David Austin Tapp (born 1962) is a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims and a former circuit court judge from Kentucky. Education Tapp received his Bachelor of Arts from Morehead State University, his Master of Science from th ...
was nominated instead in Schwartz's place and subsequently confirmed. On October 2, 2019, Trump announced his intent to nominate Schwartz to another vacancy on that court. On October 17, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Schwartz to the seat on the
United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...
vacated by Judge Marian Blank Horn, who took
senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 9, 2018. On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate. On January 9, 2020, he was renominated to the same seat. On May 14, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote. On December 7, 2020, the Senate moved to invoke cloture on his nomination by a vote of 48 to 46. On December 8, 2020, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 49–47 vote.


Failed nominees


United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...

* Damien Schiff: on May 8, 2017, Trump nominated Schiff, an attorney at the
Pacific Legal Foundation Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) is a libertarian public interest law firm in the United States.Zumbrun, Ronald A. (2004). "Life, Liberty, and Property Rights," in ''Bringing Justice to the People: The Story of the Freedom-Based Public Interest La ...
, to serve as a United States Judge of the
United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...
, to the seat vacated by Judge George W. Miller, who retired in 2013. Schiff became controversial because of his lack of experience with the specific court. But he became the subject of negative publicity when it was revealed that he described U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice
Anthony Kennedy Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1988 until his retirement in 2018. He was nominated to the court in 1987 by Presid ...
as a "judicial prostitute" in a blog posting he wrote in 2007. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted for him on an 11 to 9 party line vote. However, some Republican senators implied that they would oppose him on the floor. On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. The White House did not renominate Schiff in 2018. Trump later nominated
Richard Hertling Richard Alan Hertling (born January 25, 1960) is a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims. Education and career Hertling earned his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Brown University, and his Juris Doctor from the University ...
in Schiff's place, and Hertling was confirmed on June 10, 2019. *
Maureen Ohlhausen Maureen Kraemer Ohlhausen (born April 5, 1962) is an American lawyer who is a former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, a position she held from April 4, 2012, to September 25, 2018. On January 26, 2017, President Donald Trump desig ...
: On January 23, 2018, Trump announced his intent to nominate
Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...
er Ohlhausen to the
United States Court of Federal Claims The United States Court of Federal Claims (in case citations, Fed. Cl. or C.F.C.) is a United States federal court that hears monetary claims against the U.S. government. It was established by statute in 1982 as the United States Claims Court, ...
. On January 24, 2018, her nomination was sent to the Senate. She was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Lawrence J. Block, who retired on January 8, 2016. Her nomination immediately drew opposition from Democrats, who attacked her opposition to
Net Neutrality Network neutrality, often referred to as net neutrality, is the principle that Internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all Internet communications equally, offering users and online content providers consistent rates irrespective of co ...
and portrayed her as reflexively pro-corporation. On May 9, 2018, a hearing on her nomination was held before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
. On June 7, 2018, her nomination was reported by the Judiciary Committee by a party-line vote of 11–10. In December 2018, Ohlhausen announced that she had withdrawn her nomination for the federal judiciary, opting instead to join the law firm of
Baker Botts Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm of around 725 lawyers. Headquartered in One Shell Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas, the firm has energy and technology related clients. It is referred to as the second-oldest law firm west of the Missi ...
as partner and co-chair of the firm's antitrust practice." Trump later nominated Edward H. Meyers in Ohlhausen's place, and Meyers was confirmed on September 22, 2020.


See also

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List of federal judges appointed by Donald Trump This is a comprehensive list of all Article Three of the United States Constitution, Article III and Article Four of the United States Constitution, Article IV United States federal judges appointed by President Donald Trump as well as a partia ...
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Donald Trump Supreme Court candidates With the advice and consent of the United States Senate, the president of the United States appoints the members of the Supreme Court of the United States, which is the highest court of the federal judiciary of the United States. Following his vi ...
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United States federal judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...
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Judicial appointment history for United States federal courts The appointment of federal judges for United States federal courts is done via nomination by the President of the United States and confirmation by the United States Senate. The tables below provide the composition of all Article III courts which i ...
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Deaths of United States federal judges in active service Deaths of United States federal judges in active service have profound political and procedural effects. Due to their implications for the political composition of the courts on which they serve, they can result in unexpected political conflicts r ...


References

{{U.S. Presidents and the Judiciary Trump, Donald Judicial appointments