Senate Judiciary Chair Grassley Offended by Trump Attack on Blue Slip Custom

President Donald Trump publicly pressured Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley to end the longstanding Senate tradition of the "blue slip" process, which allows home-state senators to approve or block judicial and U.S. attorney nominees. Trump criticized the practice on Truth Social, accusing Democratic senators of using it to block qualified Republican nominees and urged Grassley to act decisively to eliminate the custom. Grassley responded by expressing offense and disappointment at Trump's personal attacks, emphasizing the importance of the blue slip tradition in ensuring judges and prosecutors serve their communities effectively. The blue slip practice, while a Senate tradition rather than a formal rule, has been employed by senators from both parties over the years. Trump argued that the tradition prevents him from appointing judges in states with Democratic senators, which he associates with high crime and corruption, and called on Grassley to follow President Biden's example of bypassing the practice. Grassley defended the custom as part of the Senate's constitutional duty and the committee's work to review nominees appropriately.