President Trump urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday to “step up” and end a “ridiculous custom” that allows senators to block judicial nominees for courts in their states.
“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the US Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the ‘Blue Slip’ problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen,” Trump wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post.
The president argued that under the “blue slip” tradition, blue state Democratic senators “have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates.”
“Put simply, the President of the United States will never be permitted to appoint the person of his choice because of an ancient, and probably Unconstitutional, ‘CUSTOM,’” Trump fumed.
Since at least 1917, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee has traditionally sent blue-colored forms to the two senators representing the home state of US attorney, circuit or district court nominees selected by the president.
Under the so-called “blue slip” tradition, which has been applied inconsistently over the years, if the senators withhold the slips or return them with a negative review of the nominee, the president’s pick is not considered by committee.
For example, New Jersey Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim recently withheld their “blue slips” to block the Senate Judiciary Committee from considering Trump’s onetime personal attorney, Alina Habba, for the top prosecutor spot in the Garden State.
Since she hasn’t been confirmed, Habba is currently serving as acting New Jersey US attorney.
“The only way to beat this Hoax is to appoint a Democrat or, a weak and ineffective Republican,” Trump argued.
“Therefore, I would never be able to appoint Great Judges or U.S. Attorneys in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, and other places, where there is, coincidentally, the highest level of crime and corruption — The places where fantastic people are most needed!”
“Senator Grassley must step up,” the president demanded, claiming that under former President Joe Biden the Senate Judiciary Committee “openly broke” tradition “at least two times.”
Trump called on Grassley to scrap the “blue slip” tradition “IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective.”
“The Democrats have broken this ridiculous custom on us, it’s time that we break it on them,” Trump reasoned.
“Chuck, I know you have the Courage to do this, DO IT!”
A spokesperson for Grassley did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
