‘A big if’: Trump said to face immediate uphill battle over judicial nominations
President-elect Donald Trump will face an uphill battle should he attempt to push ultra-ideological judges to the bench as he did in his first term, according to a new report.
A Washington Post analysis revealed Monday that, despite a Senate majority, the math is working against Trump.
Senate Democrats who currently enjoy the majority are rushing to leave as few vacancies for Trump to fill as possible, the Washington Post reported.
Outgoing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is reportedly “rushing to confirm more than two dozen of President Joe Biden’s remaining judicial nominees before Republicans take control of the chamber on Jan. 3, limiting the number of vacancies for Trump to fill.”
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“If the Senate confirms all of Biden’s remaining nominees — a big if — Trump will have 36 judicial vacancies to fill when he takes office,” the Post reported.
That’s a stark contrast from the 108 vacancies Trump had at the start of his first term, the Post reported.
Lawyer Robert Luther III warned a recent conference of the GOP judge-grooming club the Federalist Society not to expect 2017 numbers in 2025.
“I’ve studied the data and, realistically, that 108 number that we had in 2017 is probably pretty close to the number of nominations President Trump will be able to make over the entirety of his term if the Republicans keep the Senate,” he reportedly said.
Trump meanwhile has taken to social media to demand the Senate confirm “no judges” until he takes office.
Trump might also try to replace Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas with like-minded counterparts half their age, securing the current court’s 6-3 composition for years to come.
But recent reports indicate Alito, at least, has no current plans to step aside for political considerations.