President Donald Trump is escalating his efforts to pressure Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley to overturn the longstanding blue slip tradition, which allows home-state Democratic senators to block judicial nominees. In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of ‘sleazebags’ for obstructing qualified candidates, urging Grass, who he claims was re-elected in Iowa against significant odds, to ‘flick the pen’ and override their objections. Trump warned that the current practice is allowing ‘Great Republican Candidates’ to be sidelined, and that Grassley should act ‘IMMEDIATELY’ to prevent what he calls the ‘laughing’ at the Republican Party for being ‘weak and ineffective.’
Grassley, a 91-year-old Iowa senator with a decades-long career, has not publicly addressed Trump’s comments, merely stating that he has ‘already spoken about the blue slip problem’ and has ‘no more to say than what I’ve been saying for 50 years.’ A Grassley spokesperson echoed this stance, noting that Grassley has already moved several U.S. Attorneys through committee despite Democratic blue slips from senators like Warner and Kaine of Virginia, and Klobuchar and Smith of Minnesota. The spokesperson emphasized that while the blue slip process is a part of the nomination consideration, when a nominee reaches the full Senate, all 100 senators have a say, including the home-state input as a factor.
The blue slip tradition, while not a formal Senate rule, has long been a customary practice that gives home-state senators leverage over judicial appointments. Trump’s public confrontation with Grassley highlights growing tensions within the Republican Party over how to handle judicial nominations, particularly with the Senate majority now held by Republicans but with the minority still holding significant influence. The episode underscores the ongoing ideological battle over the direction of the federal judiciary and the extent to which partisan considerations should shape the nomination process.