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Trump nominees squeezed between ‘blue slips’ and blue obstruction
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President Donald Trump has attacked the Senate for blocking his preferred nominees from being confirmed to key positions, but lawmakers and people familiar with the process say the Senate is not necessarily to blame.
Trump has faulted the Senate’s «blue slip» tradition, an unwritten rule requiring nominees for judge, U.S. attorney and U.S. marshal to obtain home state senators’ approval prior to being confirmed.
He said blue state senators will only greenlight «Democrats or maybe weak Republicans.» The president called on Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to abolish the practice, and he threatened to sue over it.
But Grassley and other Republicans are unbudging in their position that blue slips are an indispensable part of the confirmation process. Blue slips have been used for more than a century. Past presidents have gotten many nominees confirmed under the system, suggesting other factors are contributing to Trump’s struggle to secure blue slips from Democrats.
TRUMP TELLS GRASSLEY TO TELL DEMOCRATS ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER BLOCKED JUDICIAL NOMINEES IN SENATE
Sen. Chuck Grassley is seen in the U.S. Capitol after a Senate luncheon. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Trump threatens to sue over ‘gentlemen’s agreement’
Trump and his allies escalated attacks on the blue slip process this week, accusing Grassley of blocking nominees by maintaining it.
«This is because of an old and outdated ‘custom’ known as a BLUE SLIP, that Senator Chuck Grassley, of the Great State of Iowa, refuses to overturn,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president threatened to sue over what he said was a «gentlemen’s agreement,» though it is unclear whom the government would sue and on what grounds.
«It’s not based on law, and I think it’s unconstitutional, and I’ll probably be filing a suit on that pretty soon,» Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Asked about the possible lawsuit and why Trump’s nominees in blue states are struggling with confirmation, the White House told Fox News Digital in a statement the holdup must be addressed.
«Senate Democrats have led a campaign of historic obstruction against President Trump and his nominees,» White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. «The left’s partisan, obstructionist agenda is only hurting the American people and it must end.»
‘Troubling’ pattern of circumventing Senate
Trump appointed his former personal defense lawyer Alina Habba as «interim» U.S. attorney, which carries a 120-day term limit that federal judges have the ability to extend under federal vacancy laws if no one has been confirmed by the Senate to the position by then.
Judges have opted to extend Trump’s nominees, like in Jay Clayton’s case in the Southern District of New York. But in an unusual move, the federal judges of New Jersey rejected Habba.
The judges selected someone else, whom Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi promptly fired. Trump and Bondi then used a series of legal maneuvers to reinstall Habba to another temporary term, but a federal judge ruled the moves unconstitutional. The Trump administration is appealing that decision in a case that could now make its way to the Supreme Court and force the justices to weigh in on what has become a pattern of Trump end-running around the Senate.
ALINA HABBA SAYS SHE ‘WON’T BE INTIMIDATED’ AFTER SENATE CUSTOM HINDERS US ATTORNEY NOMINATION
Alina Habba speaks to members of the media outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
John Sarcone in the Northern District of New York faced a situation similar to Habba’s, and he is now serving as «acting» U.S. attorney. Bill Essayli in the Central District of California, who has taken on a vocal pro-Trump stance amid high-profile deportation cases in his district, has also transitioned from «interim» to «acting» U.S. attorney. Acting U.S. attorneys also carry a temporary term of 210 days. It is unclear how Trump will proceed once those terms expire.
Carl Tobias, University of Richmond law professor, said the workarounds defy the spirit of the Constitution, which says nominees must be confirmed «with the advice and consent» of the Senate.
«It’s good to have that scrutiny from the Judiciary Committee and then on the floor, and so hopefully they could return to something like that, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen, and so I think it is troubling,» Tobias told Fox News Digital.
How to get a blue slip from the other party
The administration must engage with the Senate during the nomination process, including by consulting early on with home state senators about possible nominees.
Former President Joe Biden secured blue slips from opposing parties for 49 nominees, including 27 U.S. attorneys, while Trump’s first administration was able to secure confirmations for nearly all the U.S. attorneys the president nominated.
The blue slip, to senators, is a crucial negotiating tool, one that Article III Project founder Mike Davis said is not going away, despite Trump’s intensifying objections to it. Davis, a staunch Trump supporter, served as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and oversaw nominations under Grassley in the prior Trump administration.
«It’s not going away. Why would it? Why would senators give up their power? They’re not going to do it,» Davis told Fox News Digital, adding that blue slips to the Senate are «the sacred china that’s never going to get broken.»
Habba has blamed Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., (not pictured) for refusing to give blue slip approval to her nomination to (Fox News)
The vetting process
Nominees must also provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with a questionnaire, an FBI background check and financial disclosures. A source familiar with the process told Fox News Digital the committee did not receive Habba’s paperwork to begin vetting her.
Habba has said she could not begin the process because Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey, would not give blue slip approval. It is unclear if and when the Trump administration approached the pair of senators about Habba.
Habba, like Trump, blamed Grassley.
«The blue slip TRADITION prevents a nominee from getting to the point of making that case to the committee and Senate floor. You know who can get rid of it? YOU @ChuckGrassley,» Habba wrote on X.
She told Grassley «this is a time for leadership, not deflection» and that the chairman should not be «doing the dirty work of Thom Tillis, Corey Booker and Andy Kim.»
Booker’s and Kim’s offices did not respond to a request for comment.
Grassley defends bipartisanship
Grassley went on a tear on social media this week, defending his decision to maintain blue slips, which the committee chair has discretion over.
«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,» the 91-year-old senator wrote. «As chairman I set Pres Trump noms up for SUCCESS NOT FAILURE.»
GRASSLEY REBUKES TRUMP’S PRESSURE TO ‘HAVE THE COURAGE’ TO SPEED UP NOMINATIONS
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is among several Republicans who will not vote for a nominee who has not been approved by home state senators, pointed to a statement on social media when asked for comment by Fox News Digital.
«Chairman Grassley is a principled conservative who wants to keep radical liberals off the bench. Getting rid of the blue slip is a terrible, short-sighted ploy that paves the path for Democrats to ram through extremist liberal judges in red states over the long-term,» Tillis wrote on X.
Are Democrats to blame?
Trump has thus far secured opposing party blue slips for four nominees. Davis said Trump is facing a unique level of obstruction from Democrats.
«Every White House does what it can to engage the opposition party, but Democrats have made it clear they’re not interested in working with President Trump, so it’s understandable that his focus has been elsewhere for now,» Davis said.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for instance, has refused to give a blue slip to Clayton, the former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman. But Clayton’s ability to win the vote of the federal judges in the Southern District of New York has allowed him to serve as U.S. attorney without confirmation.
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Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member, has further complicated the confirmation process by putting a hold on U.S. attorney nominees, which drastically slows, but does not fully block, the process.
Vice President J.D. Vance, then a senator, did the same for Biden’s nominees toward the end of the last administration.
Trump’s fight with the upper chamber is likely to evolve, especially as higher courts weigh in on Habba’s nomination, which is currently invalid, according to the district court judge’s decision this month. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has set a briefing schedule in the case that stretches through October, but eventually the Supreme Court could also chime in on whether Trump’s manner of sidestepping the Senate is constitutional.
senate,judiciary,chuck grassley,politics,democrats senate,republicans
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Fuertes nevadas en Europa: de Madrid a Londres, las mejores imágenes de las ciudades y los monumentos vestidos de blanco
Los Jardines de Luxemburgo cubiertos de nieve en París.
Los Jardines de Luxemburgo cubiertos de nieve en París.
Los Jardines de Luxemburgo cubiertos de nieve en París.
Emmanuel Macron recibió al primer ministro británico Keir Starmer en el Palacio del Elíseo, bajo nieve. Foto ReutersCientos de vuelos cancelados en Amsterdam
La nieve acumulada en la entrada del Aeopuerto de Schiphol en Amsterdam, este martes. Foto REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
Vuelos cancelados y demorados en Schiphol, en Amsterdam, por la tormenta de nieve. Foto REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
La nieve acumulada en la entrada del Aeopuerto de Schiphol en Amsterdam, este martes. Foto REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwLondres, Madrid y Frankfurt
Una mujer pasea a su bebé en las calles nevadas de Londres, este martes. Foto EFE
El Regent’s Canal, en Londres, congelado por la tormenta de frío. Foto EFE
El Regent’s Canal, en Londres, congelado por la tormenta de frío. Foto EFE
Botes varados en un canal de Londres. Foto AP
Nieve en el Parlamento en Londres. Foto REUTERS/Toby Melville
Pingüinos en el zoológico de Londres, este martes. Foto EFE
Techos cubiertos de nieve en las afueras de Frankfurt, en Alemania, este martes. Foto AP
Un yate de lujo, varado y extraído del río Rin. Foto AP
Vista cenital de árboles en Frankfurt. Foto EFE
Nieve en Frankfurt. Foto EFE
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DOJ charges ex-Georgia Democrat lawmaker with allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID unemployment benefits
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A former Georgia state Democrat lawmaker was federally charged for allegedly fraudulently obtaining nearly $14,000 in coronavirus-era unemployment benefits.
The development comes after Karen Bennett, who used to represent state House District 94, wrote a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Dec. 30 announcing that she would be «retiring» from her position on New Year’s Day after 12 years of service, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
«As a result of the false application and certifications, Bennett collected a total of $13,940 of PUA [Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program] benefits and federal supplements to which she was not entitled,» Theodore Hertzberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, wrote in a court filing this week.
Prosecutors allege the former representative applied for PUA benefits in May 2020 and disclosed that she worked for the Georgia General Assembly and ran Metro Therapy, a private business where her role consisted «of providing in-home physical therapy services.» They said in the application, Bennett claimed the job was «her primary occupation and primary means of livelihood» and that the «pandemic prevented her from performing any service in connection with» Metro Therapy.
GRETCHEN WHITMER CONFRONTED ON ‘WEIRD’ COVID RESTRICTIONS, SAYS SHE DID HER BEST WITH POO INFORMATION
Karen Bennett, a Democrat who represented House District 94 in Georgia, is now facing a federal charge for allegedly fraudulently obtaining COVID unemployment benefits. (Georgia House of Representatives)
«In reality, Bennett was not prevented from performing her work for Metro Therapy or reaching her place of employment because of COVID-19 quarantine,» the filing continued. «Before the pandemic, her actual role with Metro Therapy was an administrative one, and she worked from her home office; she did not provide in-home services for clients.»
«She was not prohibited from reaching her home office because of the pandemic. She was able to continue working as usual from her home to support Metro Therapy throughout the pandemic, and the therapists who provided actual services to clients were able to continue their work after a brief disruption,» it added.
Court documents show Bennett pleaded not guilty to a charge of making false statements and was issued a $10,000 bond. Lawyers representing Bennett did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
«I am proud of the work accomplished by the Georgia General Assembly when we came together to advance policies that strengthened our state and improved the lives of all Georgians,» Bennett wrote in the letter announcing her retirement, which was obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta. «Serving in this capacity has truly been a labor of love, and one I will deeply miss.»
Bennett used to represent a district that included parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is seen during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17, 2024. Rep. Bennett wrote a letter to Kemp on Dec. 30 announcing her retirement, but did not give a reason in the letter as to why. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In the charging document, prosecutors said Bennett applied for and was denied Unemployment Insurance benefits, which paved the way for her to file the PUA application.
In that application, Bennett also claimed in relation to her position at Metro Therapy that she was last able to work on April 10, 2020, and she was «unable to reach my place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency,» prosecutors alleged.
«Once approved for PUA benefits, Bennett periodically submitted online certifications for every week for which she requested benefits. In each of those certifications, while she stated that she was receiving $300 per week from the General Assembly, she disclosed no other income,» the filing said, noting that Bennett claimed she was actively seeking other work.
«She submitted such certifications for weeks in March through August 2020. However, in reality, Bennett was not actively seeking work, Bennett was not prevented from working for Metro Therapy because of a COVID-19 quarantine, and Metro Therapy was still operating and receiving income,» the document said.
It added that, «Bennett failed to disclose and concealed that she had separate employment through a church and was receiving a paycheck from the church for $905 every week the entire time she was claiming PUA benefits.»
An aerial view of the Georgia State Capitol building. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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The Justice Department recently filed charges against Rep. Sharon Henderson, another Georgia state Democrat, on similar charges.
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El ala militar chavista se alinea con Delcy Rodríguez, pero pone condiciones para garantizar la gobernabilidad
La cohesión militar detrás del chavismo duro luce a simple vista intacta tres días después del ataque a Venezuela y la captura de Nicolás Maduro.
Al menos no hay fisuras visibles en el rígido control del ministro de Defensa, Vladimir Padrino López, una figura histórica del ala militar del chavismo y que mantiene su cargo desde 2014, momento de la asunción del líder capturado.
Leé también: Tras la captura de Maduro, la oposición venezolana se reorganiza mientras Corina Machado se aferra a Trump
“Hasta ahora, parece que las Fuerzas Armadas se mantienen unidas. No hay evidencia de una división», aseguró en un informe el analista Phil Gunson, especialista del área de Los Andes del Crisis Group, una ONG dedicada a la resolución de conflictos.
Padrino López no está solo. Lo secunda el ministro del Interior y Justicia, Diosdado Cabello, también militar y a cargo del aparato represivo del chavismo.
Ambos, por cuya captura el Departamento de Estado ofrece 15 y 25 millones de dólares, respectivamente, son el símbolo de la nueva paradoja que dominará al flamante gobierno de la presidenta Delcy Rodríguez. Por un lado, entregan un respaldo fundamental para la sobrevivencia del chavismo, pero por el otro condicionarán el camino a cualquier tipo de transición que intente negociar la mandataria con el gobierno de Donald Trump.
Apoyo, pero bajo ciertas condiciones
El nuevo chavismo post-Maduro intenta dar una imagen de unidad y cohesión en torno a un discurso de combate y defensa de su líder preso en Nueva York. El folclore ideológico no ha variado. Necesita mostrarse cohesionado y beligerante frente a sus bases.
Pero la realidad es distinta. El enorme poder de los hermanos Rodríguez, la presidenta Delcy y el titular de la Asamblea Nacional (Parlamento), Jorge, preocupa al ala militar encarnada por Padrino y Cabello. Es una lucha de larga data en la interna chavista.
Delcy y Jorge Rodríguez, las nuevas caras del chavismo (Foto: AFP)
Las dos alas, la política y la militar, se necesitan una a la otra para sobrevivir. La pata civil tiene hoy el poder, debilitado y condicionado por Trump. El sector militar no tiene otra opción que respaldar a la nueva presidenta, aunque ya le puso algunas trabas en el camino. Sabe que, sin su respaldo, Delcy Rodríguez no durará mucho.
Una de las primeras medidas de Delcy Rodríguez tras jurar el lunes el cargo fue nombrar a Gustavo González López como comandante de la Guardia de Honor, su custodia personal, el anillo de seguridad diezmado por el ataque estadounidense del sábado.
Leé también: La muerte de 32 cubanos en la captura de Maduro reveló la masiva presencia de agentes de la isla en Venezuela
No es un nombre más. Es la mano derecha de Diosdado Cabello. Algunos analistas ven en este nombramiento una imposición militar con un fuerte mensaje político de impunidad y desafío. “En esta lucha por cuotas de poder, González López es una ficha de Diosdado. El mensaje es que Diosdado va a tener el monitoreo de las actividades de la presidenta”, dijo a TN un analista venezolano que pidió preservar su nombre. Diosdado Cabello y Vladimir Padrino respaldan a Delcy Rodríguez, pero con condiciones (Foto: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
En círculos políticos venezolanos llamó también la atención el arresto masivo de al menos 14 periodistas el lunes durante la jura de Delcy Rodríguez. No se observa hoy una ola de represión, según dijeron a TN activistas de derechos humanos, más allá de la movilización de fuerzas de seguridad y varias alcabalas en puntos estratégicos de Caracas.
“En este escenario, estas detenciones de periodistas llaman la atención. Algo así lo tiene que haber ordenado alguien ajeno a los hermanos Rodríguez porque esto les da mala prensa. Podemos estar en presencia de pequeños sabotajes que hacen quedar mal al nuevo gobierno. Los hermanos Rodríguez son muy inteligentes como para ordenar una detención masiva de periodistas en el recinto de la Asamblea” en el momento de la jura, dijo un analista que también pidió mantener el anonimato.
Por qué se mantiene cohesionado el poder militar
El férreo control del chavismo sobre el aparato militar se construyó a lo largo de los últimos 26 años de gobierno.
En el modelo cubano, el expresidente e histórico ministro de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR) Raúl Castro, les entregó a los militares el control de millonarias empresas estatales que garantizaron un buen pasar a sus líderes y mandos intermedios.
El chavismo copió ese modelo, pero el fenómeno del narcotráfico y todo tipo de negocios turbios se enquistaron en sus estructuras de mando y le añadió un costado criminal que Trump utlizó como excusa para acusar a Maduro de ser el líder de un llamado Cartel de los Soles del que muchos analistas dudan de la existencia.
Leé también: El dramático relato de los familiares de los presos políticos en Venezuela: “El trato es inhumano”
La mayoría de los altos mandos militares venezolanos están hoy bajo acusación de Estados Unidos. En ese marco, el único camino que visualizan para su futuro es encolumnarse detrás de Padrino López y, al menos por ahora, de la nueva presidenta.
El ejército es la única fuerza capaz de hacer un cambio radical en Venezuela, más allá del garrote de Trump. Pero también puede decidir agruparse, deshacerse de Delcy Rodríguez y enfrentar la amenaza estadounidense.
“La cuestión clave es si las Fuerzas Armadas se mantienen unidas en apoyo al gobierno. Si lo hacen, tendremos paz, básicamente una paz antidemocrática, pero al menos evitaremos el riesgo de una guerra civil o algún tipo de convulsión interna prolongada, potencialmente una guerra prolongada de baja intensidad”, dijo Gunson en su informe.
Además, el experto afirmó: “Una división en las Fuerzas Armadas sería el escenario más peligroso. Creo que Trump ha concluido, y su entorno también, que sin el apoyo de los militares, sin un acuerdo con los militares en Venezuela, el país es ingobernable. Y María Corina Machado no puede garantizar eso”.
Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, Donald Trump
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