President Donald Trump just demanded that Senate Majority Leader John Thune cancel the upcoming August recess and the U.S. Senate’s long weekends to push through judicial confirmations.
Trump’s demand came after new intelligence findings were released that showed the Obama administration suppressed evidence that Trump did not cooperate with Russia during the 2016 election.
“Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed. We need them badly!!! DJT,” Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform.
The president’s for Congress to get to work quickly came one day after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revealed that Obama administration officials blocked intelligence assessments showing Russia had not impacted the 2016 presidential election results.
Gabbard disclosed that intelligence community officials prepared an assessment for Obama in December 8, 2016, finding that Russia “did not impact recent U.S. election results” by conducting cyber attacks on infrastructure.
“Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes.”
“We had, in President Obama and his leadership team, people who did not want to accept the will of the American people in electing Donald Trump in 2016 — and therefore cooked up this treasonous conspiracy to … effectively launch a years-long coup against the sitting President of the United States,” Gabbard told Fox News.
Trump’s judicial confirmation push is part of his effort to reshape the federal courts on behalf of conservatives. During his first term, Republicans confirmed 234 federal judges.
The Senate confirmed Trump’s first judicial nominee of his second term this week, approving Whitney Hermandorfer for the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 46-42 party-line vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee also advanced former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro for permanent U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C.
Democrats staged a walkout during Thursday’s committee vote, primarily objecting to Emil Bove’s nomination for appellate judge. Bove had previously represented Trump in his New York criminal case and served as acting deputy attorney general.
Senate Majority Leader Thune posted on X after meeting with Trump Friday: “Great night at the White House with President Trump and Senate Republicans celebrating a successful six months of implementing our pro-America agenda.”
Democratic opposition has been fierce.
“Here’s who Senate GOP is trying to put on the federal bench: Whitney Hermandorfer. Less than ten years of legal experience. Never served as the sole or chief counsel on a single case that was tried to verdict,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X after Hermandorfer’s confirmation. “Made a career out of going after reproductive rights, trans rights, anti-discrimination policies. Tried to strike down protections for employees who need reproductive care. Supported Trump firing of more than a dozen inspectors general. The list of reasons why she would make a terrible judge goes on, and on, and on.”
Trump’s current judicial slate includes five Missouri-based nominees and one D.C. Superior Court nominee, all with strong conservative credentials and connections to Republican legal networks.