Trump Pushes GOP to Halt Biden’s Judicial Appointments

President-elect Donald Trump has called on Republican senators to block President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees during the final weeks of Democratic Senate control. While GOP lawmakers have taken steps to slow the process, their ability to fully stop these confirmations is constrained by the Democrats’ current majority.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned of a Democratic push to flood the judiciary with “Radical Left Judges” before his inauguration. “Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!” Trump urged.

The plea reflects concerns about the long-term impact of lifetime judicial appointments that could entrench leftist policies in the courts. By the end of his presidency, Biden has successfully confirmed 216 judges, compared to Trump’s 234 during his first term.

Republicans have started using procedural delays to hinder the confirmation process. For instance, Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) emphasized the GOP’s commitment to slowing things down. “If Sen. Schumer thought Senate Republicans would just roll over and allow him to quickly confirm multiple Biden-appointed judges...he thought wrong,” Thune said.

Key tactics include:

• Roll Call Votes: Forcing time-consuming individual votes rather than allowing streamlined voice votes.

• Unified Attendance: Ensuring Republican senators are present to complicate the Democrats’ numbers game.

Despite these efforts, the GOP faces a numerical disadvantage:

• The Senate currently has 47 Democrats and two independents who caucus with them, giving them a slim majority over the 49 Republicans.

• Even if Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) sides with Republicans, Vice President Kamala Harris retains the ability to cast a tiebreaking vote, ensuring confirmations proceed.

Semafor congressional bureau chief Burgess Everett highlighted the difficulty: “With full attendance Republicans cannot block these nominees. Even if Manchin defects, Dems can confirm with [Vice President Harris] tiebreak.”

Lifetime judicial appointments shape the ideological direction of federal courts for decades. With Trump’s earlier success in placing conservative judges on the bench, Democrats are rushing to counterbalance those gains before the GOP takes control of the Senate in January.

While Republicans cannot outright stop the confirmations, their resistance could slow the process, creating less time for Democrats to push additional nominees through.

As Trump prepares to take office, his call for GOP senators to hold the line serves as a reminder of the battles ahead to protect the judiciary from the radical left’s influence.

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