Trump Ally Alina Habba Blasts GOP Senators Grassley, Tillis Over Blue Slip Block

President Donald Trump is actively criticizing Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Thom Tillis for using the Senate's blue-slip tradition to block the confirmation of Alina Habba as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey. Habba, a Trump loyalist, has faced opposition from Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, who employed the blue-slip rule to halt her nomination, and from Grassley and Tillis, who have upheld the tradition despite Trump's calls to end it. The blue-slip rule allows home-state senators to veto judicial and U.S. attorney nominees, effectively preventing Habba and others from receiving a Senate vote. Habba argues that this obstruction is politically motivated, aimed at hindering President Trump's agenda rather than reflecting her qualifications or performance. Following a federal judge's ruling that Habba is not lawfully holding the office after her interim term expired, Trump reappointed her in an effort to bypass judicial blocks, intensifying the controversy. The debate highlights ongoing tensions over Senate traditions, partisanship, and the presidential appointment process.