Whenever Donald Trump speaks publicly, controversy usually follows. On Monday, after announcing a $12 billion aid package for farmers hurt by tariffs and inflation, attention shifted to a hot-mic moment as he left a roundtable meeting.
Trump was heard saying “blue slips” and “You know I cannot appoint anybody,” prompting speculation he was expressing frustration over the Senate’s long-standing “blue slip” tradition, which allows home-state senators to block federal judicial nominees.
The remarks came days after Trump criticized his own party for letting the blue-slip practice stall his appointments, including that of his personal lawyer, Alina Habba, whose tenure as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey was ruled unlawful after senators blocked her confirmation.
Trump argued the tradition makes it “impossible” to appoint judges or U.S. attorneys and urged Republicans to act, saying even highly qualified nominees are being stopped by a single senator’s refusal to approve them.