Trump slams GOP Senators for letting Democrats block his appointees with ‘blue slip’ rule

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Monday, December 8, took aim at Republican Senators for allowing Democrats to stall his appointees through the long-standing “blue slip” tradition.

Trump’s frustration came shortly after Alina Habba announced she had stepped down as the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, following the Third Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to uphold her disqualification.

Donald Trump says Republicans should be ashamed of themselves

Trump participated in a roundtable event with farmers in the Cabinet Room. After the meeting, he answered questions from reporters and did not hold back when asked about Alina Habba resigning as US Attorney for New Jersey.

He accused Republican Senators of enabling Democrats to block his nominees through the blue slip custom, which gives home-state senators significant influence over judicial and US attorney appointments. 

“Well, she’s not disqualified. You’ve got a blue slip thing that is horrible… it makes it impossible to appoint a judge or a US Attorney, and it’s a shame, and the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves that they allow this to go on,” Trump said.

He added, “If I put up George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be US Attorney in New Jersey or in Virginia, where you have Democrat Senators, they will not approve them. And this gentlemen’s agreement has lasted too long. It means you can’t appoint a Republican US Attorney. 

Trump also criticized Senator Chuck Grassley’s stance on the process, saying, “Senator Grassley with his blue slip stuff will not let anybody go by. And by the way, the Democrats have violated the blue slip provision on numerous occasions.”

Shortly after reporters left the room, Trump was caught on a hot mic continuing to vent about the issue. “You know I can’t appoint anybody,” he said. “Everybody I’ve appointed, their time has expired. Then they’re in default, then we’re losing…”

Alina Habba resigns as Acting US Attorney for New Jersey

Alina Habba announced her resignation on Monday in a statement posted on X. She said her decision followed the Third Circuit’s ruling but stressed that stepping down was not an act of “surrender.”

Habba wrote that for the past five years she had “fought for justice” on behalf of the American people and said the Department of Justice had made New Jersey safer. She highlighted that Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche had helped reduce crime, kept streets clear of violent offenders, and “put away child p*******s.”

She argued that judges in New Jersey had taken “advantage of a flawed blue slip tradition” and were being used as tools by what she described as a “politicized left.” According to Habba, trials and sentencing had stalled for months, leaving violent offenders on the streets.

Habba added that the judges had aligned with senators who, in her view, were more focused on fighting Donald Trump than serving the public.