OAN Staff Blake Wolf and Brooke Mallory
11:39 AM – Thursday, December 11, 2025
President Donald Trump asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune to terminate the Senate’s “Blue Slip” tradition — an informal courtesy allowing home-state senators from either party to block or withhold approval for certain presidential nominees, such as federal judges and U.S. attorneys, by not returning a “blue slip” form to the Judiciary Committee.
On Truth Social on Thursday, Trump labeled the practice a “scam” that unfairly lets Democrats veto qualified Republican picks in Democrat-heavy blue states, urging Thune (R-S.D.) to act immediately to avoid “great Republicans” from being “sent packing.”
However, in response, Thune expressed hesitancy and even outright opposition during a Fox News appearance and in interviews with outlets like the Washington Examiner later that day. He argued that the practice has bipartisan support, benefits Republicans when Democrats hold the White House, and is backed by “way more Republican senators” than not.
“‘Blue Slips’ are making it impossible to get great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys approved to serve in any state where there is even a single Democrat Senator. If they say no, then it is OVER for that very well qualified Republican candidate. Only a really far left Democrat can be approved,” Trump wrote.
“It is shocking that Republicans, under Senator Chuck [Grassley] (R-Iowa), allow this scam to continue. So unfair to Republicans, and not Constitutional,” the president continued.
Advertisement“I am hereby asking Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a fantastic guy, to get something done, ideally the termination of Blue Slips. Too many GREAT REPUBLICANS are being, SENT PACKIN’. None are getting approved!!!”
President Trump further revealed that certain Democrat senators are currently blocking at least 10 of his nominees for U.S. Attorney positions by refusing to return their “blue slips.”
In one of the high-profile instances, Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. attorney for New Jersey, Alina Habba, resigned after an appeals court argued that she was unlawfully serving in the position.
Democrats like Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) had withheld their blue slips to block Habba’s advancement, and without those slips, her nomination couldn’t advance out of committee — let alone to a full Senate vote.
The blue slip issue was the root cause that prevented her from advancing to a permanent, Senate-confirmed role, while the unlawful service ruling was the immediate trigger that resulted in her resignation.
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