Donald Trump Pushes Leader Thune to Delay Recess Until All Nominees Are Confirmed

President Donald Trump has publicly urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to cancel the upcoming August recess and other scheduled breaks in order to accelerate the confirmation of his administration’s nominees.

In a Truth Social post published Saturday evening, President Trump praised Thune’s leadership during recent legislative victories but stressed the urgency of getting his nominees through the Senate confirmation process.

“Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed. We need them badly!!!” President Trump wrote.

There are 14 OF 15 President Trump-appointed federal judicial nominees who are NOT yet confirmed by the Senate.

Leader Thune, cancel the August recess, and no more long weekends, until these get through. Fulfill President Trump’s request. pic.twitter.com/R6wcFayukq

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 20, 2025

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The Senate’s August recess is currently scheduled to begin on August 4 and extend through Labor Day on September 1.

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In addition to the August break, the Senate’s official calendar includes other scheduled recesses throughout the remainder of 2025, including one in late September and another in early October that are not tied to federal holidays.

The president’s push to cancel the recess comes on the heels of significant legislative activity in Congress over the past two months.

This includes the passage of a sweeping legislative package often referred to by President Trump as the “big, beautiful bill,” as well as a recission bill that enacted $9 billion in spending cuts inspired by DOGE-themed cost-saving measures.

Additionally, Congress has recently passed a series of bills related to cryptocurrency regulation and digital asset enforcement.

Despite these legislative accomplishments, confirmations of President Trump’s nominees—particularly judicial nominees—have lagged.

The Senate confirmed President Trump’s first judicial nominee of his current term earlier this past Monday, but numerous vacancies remain across federal courts and executive agencies.

The pace of confirmations has drawn criticism from administration officials and conservative allies who argue that the Senate should prioritize staffing key positions before the 2026 midterms.

In his post, President Trump emphasized the need for swift action, calling the nominees “incredible” and “badly needed.”

Senate Majority Leader Thune has not yet issued a formal response to President Trump’s request.

However, Republican leadership has previously acknowledged the growing backlog of nominations and may face increasing pressure from within the party to extend working sessions into scheduled breaks.

Cancelling or shortening the August recess is not without precedent.

In 2018, under then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s August recess was reduced to ensure progress on judicial and executive branch confirmations.

At the time, the move was seen as a strategy to counter Democratic delays and procedural roadblocks.

With a packed legislative calendar and dozens of pending nominees awaiting Senate action, the administration has made clear it expects continued momentum in the upper chamber.

Whether Senate leadership will adjust the current schedule remains to be seen, but pressure from the White House to do so appears to be increasing.

As of Sunday, no updated Senate calendar has been issued reflecting any potential changes to the recess or weekend adjournments.

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