McConnell Criticizes Judges for Reversing Retirement Plans After Trump Reelection

The Senate GOP leader accuses two Democratic-appointed judges of partisanship, reigniting debates over judicial integrity and past nomination controversies.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell denounced two federal judges for rescinding their retirement plans following President-elect Trump's victory, calling it unprecedented and partisan.
Judges Algenon Marbley and Max Cogburn, appointed by Presidents Clinton and Obama respectively, reversed earlier decisions to take senior status, citing the lack of confirmed successors.
McConnell warned that such actions could undermine a bipartisan deal on judicial nominations, which allowed Trump to secure four appellate court appointments in exchange for confirming Biden's district court nominees.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin countered McConnell's remarks by highlighting the GOP leader's 2016 refusal to consider Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination under President Obama.
The controversy underscores ongoing tensions over judicial appointments and the politicization of the federal judiciary in the wake of Trump's reelection.