Trump Calls Out GOP Senators for Skipping Key Vote Blocking Biden’s Judges

President-elect Donald Trump has put Senate Republicans on notice after five of them failed to show up for a critical vote this week, allowing Democrats to confirm a leftist judge to a lifetime seat on the federal bench.

In a 49-45 vote, the Senate approved Embry Kidd’s appointment to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which serves Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The absence of GOP Senators JD Vance (OH), Mike Braun (IN), Marco Rubio (FL), Steve Daines (MT), and Bill Hagerty (TN) allowed Democrats to secure the confirmation.

Trump wasted no time condemning the missed opportunity, writing on X: “The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts with Radical Left Judges on their way out the door. Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!”

Prominent Republicans voiced similar frustrations. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to X to lambaste the absent senators, emphasizing the long-term consequences of their failure to act.

“This leftist judge would have been voted down and the seat on the important 11th Circuit would have been filled by Donald Trump next year had Republicans showed up,” DeSantis wrote.

“Now, the leftist judge will have a lifetime appointment, and the people of FL, AL, and GA will suffer the consequences,” he added.

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board also criticized the senators, stating, “Republican Senators have a duty in the lame duck to show up for these votes. Any judicial vacancy that goes unfilled now will be Mr. Trump’s to nominate someone to fill.”

To counter Democrats’ last-minute judicial confirmations, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) announced a new plan to slow the process. Thune, who will assume the role of Senate Majority Leader in January, outlined a strategy using procedural maneuvers to delay votes on remaining judicial nominees.

“If Sen. Schumer thought Senate Republicans would just roll over and allow him to quickly confirm multiple Biden-appointed judges to lifetime jobs in the final weeks of the Democrat majority, he thought wrong,” Thune said in a statement.

The goal is to limit Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s ability to push through more leftist judges before the new Republican-controlled Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2025.

The lack of attendance sparked outrage among GOP lawmakers.

• Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) bluntly stated, “When Republicans do not show up to vote, we lose. You have to show up. Period. End of story. There’s nothing more important.”

• Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) expressed his frustration, saying, “On a scale of 1 to 10, a 12.”

Kennedy took particular issue with the qualifications of Biden’s nominees, quipping, “A number of President Biden’s nominees, particularly at the courts of appeal, they think they’re qualified to be a federal judge if they’ve seen My Cousin Vinny, and I don’t agree with them.”

The GOP missed a chance to block Kidd, whose appointment will influence key states like Florida and Georgia. With only a handful of legislative days left in the current session, Republicans are under pressure to prevent further losses and ensure that vacancies remain open for Trump to fill next year.

For Republicans, it’s not just about controlling the Senate it’s about ensuring the future of America’s judiciary.

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