President Trump just put the screws to Senator Chuck Grassley, who leads the Judiciary Committee, to do away with what Trump calls the ‘blue slip scam’, so that he can get his judges and US attorneys through the Senate.
He says Grassley has the power to do this and challenges him to do so, saying “Chuck, I know you have the Courage to do this, DO IT!”
Here’s his full post:
Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. 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. Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, 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,” that if you have, even one person in the opposite Party serving in the U.S. Senate, he/she must give consent, thereby completely stopping the opposite Party’s Nomination. The only way to beat this Hoax is to appoint a Democrat or, a weak and ineffective Republican.
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, like Crooked Joe Biden did, when he openly broke, at least two times, the “Blue Slip” SCAM, and like others have done over the years, and let our Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys BE CONFIRMED. He should do this, 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. Chuck, I know you have the Courage to do this, DO IT!
What Trump is also doing here is communicating to MAGA to also put pressure on Grassley to make this happen. We’ll see if Grassley folds.
Just for more context, and in case you are unfamiliar with the blue slip tradition in the Senate, I’ll let Grok explain this tradition to you:
The blue slip tradition in the Senate is a practice where senators from a state can weigh in on judicial nominees for federal district courts in their state. When a president nominates someone, the Judiciary Committee sends a blue slip—a literal piece of blue paper—to the home-state senators for their approval or disapproval. If a senator returns the slip with a negative response or doesn’t return it, it can block or delay the nomination. It’s a way senators exert influence over federal judge picks in their backyard, though its impact has varied over time depending on the Senate’s rules and leadership.