Chuck Grassley Says He’s Helping Trump By Holding Up Some Of His Nominees

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said Monday he is helping President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees by holding up confirmation votes until they secure support from their home-state senators.

Grassley wrote on X that the century-old “blue slip” tradition remains decisive, stressing that without it, Trump’s picks would lack the votes to clear committee. (RELATED: Senate Republicans Debate Future Of Blue Slip Tradition Amid Confirmation Push)

“A [U.S. Attorney] or district judge nominee without a blue slip does not [have] the votes to get confirmed on the Senate floor, & they don’t [have] the votes to get out of [committee],” Grassley said. “As chairman I set [President Trump’s nominees] up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE.”

A U.S. Atty/district judge nominee without a blue slip does not hv the votes to get confirmed on the Senate floor & they don’t hv the votes to get out of cmte

As chairman I set Pres Trump noms up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 25, 2025

When a president selects a U.S. circuit or district court judge, the Judiciary Committee chairman sends a blue slip to the nominee’s home-state senators, who can approve, reject or withhold it to stall the nomination.

Grassley has come under fresh pressure from Republicans after he clarified in a separate post that Trump’s pick for New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor, Alina Habba, had her nomination withdrawn July 24. He said the committee “never received any of the paperwork needed for the Senate to vet her nomination.”

Habba was withdrawn as the President’s nominee for New Jersey U.S. Atty on July 24 &the Judic cmte never received any of the paperwork needed for the Senate to vet her nomination

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 25, 2025

Trump renewed demands on July 29 for Grassley to scrap the Senate’s blue slip tradition, writing on Truth Social that his “constitutional right to appoint judges and U.S. Attorneys” is being undermined by a tradition that lets a single Democrat block his nominees.

He singled out Grassley for refusing to overturn what he called an “old and outdated custom,” arguing that Democrats had ignored it in the past, including when former President Joe Biden was in office.

“Chuck Grassley should allow strong Republican candidates to ascend to these very vital, powerful roles, and tell the Democrats, as they often tell us, to go to hell,” Trump wrote.

Grassley answered Trump’s criticism during a July 30 Judiciary Committee hearing, saying while most Americans might be unaware of the blue slip process, the practice directly shapes who serves in their states. He repeated that defense in a Monday post on X.

“The 100-year-old ‘blue slip’ allows home state senators to have input on U.S. attorneys and district court judges,” Grassley wrote. “In the Biden administration, Republicans kept 30 liberals off the bench that President Trump can now fill with conservatives.”

Republicans have continued to cite delays from what they call an unprecedented Democratic blockade, which has required hours of roll-call votes to move nominations forward, even as questions linger about whether GOP senators are pressing hard enough. (RELATED: Are Republicans Doing Enough To Confirm Trump Nominees? Conservative Critics Say No)

Senate Majority Leader John Thune faces two options: pile up cloture votes to push Trump’s nominees through, which would extend floor time, or adjourn and give the president the chance to make recess appointments.

But stacking cloture votes risks stalling other legislation and sparking a political backlash.

🚨 SEN. THOM TILLIS: “I disagree with the president [and] completely agree with everything Sen. Grassley said. In fairness to the president, he’s probably got somebody telling him they should nuke the blue slip.” pic.twitter.com/3aoUprW3my

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 30, 2025

After talks between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer collapsed, Thune moved forward with a rule change modeled on those used by former Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid.

Thune has blamed Democrats for the backlog, but some conservatives argue he should have acted more aggressively to speed the process. Senate rules prevent the chamber from handling legislation and executive business at the same time, meaning a flood of nominations would halt legislative work.

The Daily Caller reached out to Grassley for comment on further conversations with Trump and was directed to his two X posts from Monday.