Staff Reports
Trump is poised to step into the Oval Office next year with a delightful little gift from Senate Republicans—four juicy federal court slots ready for his picking, all thanks to a bipartisan deal that some might consider a tactical retreat. In a twist worthy of a political thriller, Republicans decided to lay down their procedural arms after engaging in a fierce skirmish to block Biden’s judicial nominees during the outgoing days of his administration.
The deal seems to portray both parties as winners. Democrats, in their struggles to confirm lower-level district court nominees, agreed to save four prime circuit court slots for Trump, allowing him to equip the federal bench with judges who likely won’t try to enact a socialist agenda on the nation. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin had to acknowledge the reality of the situation—he wasn’t entirely confident that the Democrats could rally enough votes to push through their nominees amidst the chaos.
Trump scores win on judges from Senate GOP despite attendance problems https://t.co/tnNetMedv1
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 22, 2024
As this drama unfolded, Republican leaders were creating their own brand of procedural havoc, courtesy of Senate Minority Whip John Thune. They forced exhausting roll call votes that had senators yawning into their coffee cups long past midnight. Some members of the GOP simply couldn’t rise to the occasion, missing votes that could have thwarted a flood of Democrat judges. The result? Republican lawmakers needed to make some deals if they were going to avoid a complete meltdown.
It was a bipartisan set of senators—Mike Lee, Eric Schmitt, and Kyrsten Sinema—who put the finishing touches on this arrangement in the wee hours of the morning. In a world where party loyalty can make the plot thick, it was a rare moment where everyone seemed to go home with something in their pockets, or at least fewer judges to worry about. The real benefactors? Conservatives focused on reshaping the judiciary in the upcoming Trump administration.
Senate Democrats were on quite the roll with confirming judicial nominees, having secured a staggering 220 appointments during Biden’s presidency. However, with the clock ticking down to the end of the Congress, Senate Democrats might struggle to match Trump’s record from his first term—234 in total. Durbin touted their achievements, claiming it was almost miraculous, though the reality is that navigating a razor-thin majority is like trying to dance on a tightrope while juggling chainsaws.
What remains quite ironic is that while Democrats were uncertain of their prospects for advancing four specific circuit nominees, Republicans were biting their nails about Trump managing to fill district judgeships in traditionally blue areas. Despite their fears, a reality emerged: Trump will reclaim some serious judicial firepower with those four circuit court slots that would have walked right into liberal hands. Rest assured, the only stacking going on will be in favor of the right, as the curtain rises on the Trump presidency.
