Schumer pledges to block Trump judicial picks after Democrats seize Senate
With 54 or 56 seats expected, the new Democratic majority aims to prevent a Republican president from appointing conservative judges.
By Matthew Collins ·
Senate Democrats will hold at least 54 seats in the 100-member chamber next year, a majority that allows them to block or ignore President Donald Trump’s judicial nominations. This shift follows Tuesday’s midterm elections, which gave the party sweeping control of Congress and numerous state governments. Final results in Alaska and Mississippi may push the Democratic count to 56 seats.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is expected to return as majority leader, said in an interview with The Associated Press that Democrats will prevent the president from installing a "right-winger" on the Supreme Court or "crappy nominees" in the federal judiciary. He also pledged to block Trump’s Cabinet picks. This strategy mirrors the aggressive tactics Republicans used for years to confirm conservative judges.
The new balance of power creates immediate hurdles for the White House. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted on X that the chance of confirming a successor to Justice Samuel Alito or Justice Clarence Thomas during Trump’s term is zero. He added that a Republican administration from 2029 to 2033 would likely fail to recapture enough seats to confirm a justice by 2028.
The two oldest justices have not announced imminent retirements. Alito, 76, told the Associated Press recently that he is unsure "how long I’ll be able to continue to do this job," though he said he would stay through next summer. Thomas, 78, will become the longest-serving justice in U.S. history in May 2028. Trump has declined to say whether either should step down so he can nominate their replacements.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis stated that Democrats have politicized the court. She said some "extreme Democrats" are entertaining plans to pack the Court with liberal justices. Trump said he will never let them ruin the independent judiciary.
Political tensions are also rising over other appointments. Retiring Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina defended a House effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Tillis wrote on X that the effort addresses Hegseth’s "incompetence" and "shameful and embarrassing episodes." Representative Thomas Massie, who introduced the articles of impeachment, said he would drop the effort if Hegseth resigns.
Economic data released Friday showed 165,000 new jobs were created last month, far exceeding the 65,000 expected by economists. Unemployment dipped to 4.1%. However, hourly wage gains trailed annual inflation for the seventh straight month. President Trump’s economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on CNBC that the U.S. can "still have a blockbuster economy" even if data center construction slows.
In Washington, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order that delays the start of construction on Trump’s monumental arch for 14 days. The order follows an 8-4 vote by the National Capital Planning Commission that approved the project. Chutkan ruled that the immediacy of construction would cause real harm to the state of Virginia and the District of Columbia.
