Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley sharply rebuffed former President Donald Trump’s demand to eliminate the Senate’s century‑old “blue slip” protocol—a process allowing home‑state senators to delay judicial and U.S. attorney nominations. Grassley called Trump’s public comments “offensive” and said he was dismayed by the personal nature of the criticism.
At a Judiciary Committee hearing, Grassley expressed surprise at Trump’s Truth Social post urging him to have the “courage” to scrap the blue‑slip tradition, which Trump labeled a “hoax” that blocks qualified nominees. Grassley, 91, emphasized the longstanding bipartisan value of the custom and said he had no intention of changing his approach.
The impasse comes amid pressure to confirm more of Trump’s judicial picks. Only five nominees have been approved in Trump’s second term, as the Senate faces a backlog of about 250 pending nominations. Trump has called on Senate Republicans to continue work through the August recess to expedite confirmations.
Despite growing demands, some Republican senators remain hesitant to abandon the blue‑slip process, warning that Democrats could retaliate in future administrations. Grassley reiterated that the tradition helps safeguard state-level input and maintains procedural harmony across both parties.