Overview

• Posting Sunday on Truth Social, the president argued the tradition is denying his constitutional authority to appoint judges and U.S. attorneys and urged Grassley to scrap it, telling Democrats to “go to HELL.”
• The blue slip is an informal Senate practice that lets home-state senators approve or block district court and U.S. attorney nominees, and its effect depends on how strictly the Judiciary Committee chair enforces it.
• Grassley has resisted ending the custom after saying in July he was offended by Trump’s earlier criticism, though he previously limited its use for circuit court nominees in 2017.
• The confirmations pace has slowed significantly in Trump’s second term, with five judges confirmed in the first seven months and 49 judicial vacancies with seven nominees pending, according to United States Courts data.
• Alina Habba, whose nomination to be U.S. attorney in New Jersey was withdrawn last month, criticized Grassley after a judge ruled Thursday her interim tenure expired on July 24 without Senate confirmation.