As the Democrats continue to attempt to use every trick in the book to block confirmation of Trump’s judicial nominees, the president came after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Tuesday, urging him to stop honoring a tradition whereby a single senator can nuke an appointment just because he or she feels like it.
It’s called the “blue slip” tradition, and it works like this:
The Senate’s blue slip policy allows home-state senators to signal their approval or disapproval of a judicial nominee appointed to a seat in their state by filling out and returning a blue slip of paper to the SJC [Senate Judiciary Committee]. The SJC practice started as an informal courtesy to incentivize the President to collaborate with homestate senators during the nominations process.
Trump is sick of seeing senators like New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker blocking his appointments, and he urged Grassley to take action, pronto:
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 07.29.25 06:13 PM EST pic.twitter.com/j8QxkqT8wt
— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 29, 2025
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Not surprisingly, the president minced no words and blasted the stonewalling Democrats:
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.
He went on to point out that he’s effectively unable to pursue his judicial goals in any state that has at least one Democrat senator:
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!
Do it now, he urged Grassley:
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!
The “blue slip” custom has been used extensively by both sides, but its value in today’s world has been questioned by both Republicans and Democrats—with their passions often dictated by who’s in power. Both sides have also accused the other of breaking the tradition.
I’m not a lawmaker, but it seems to me that the days of congeniality and “working together” are no more in the Senate, and instead, in our current hyper-politicized environment, it’s more like battle than cooperation occurring daily under the Capitol dome. The blue slip tradition, originally meant to foster collaboration between the chief executive and senators, frustrated Biden and the Democrats just as much as it’s annoying Trump now.
“In many respects, it’s an archaic holdover from a different era,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in 2023. It may be a rare case of him getting something right.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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