“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the Blue Slip problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen. Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, SLEAZEBAGS ALL, have an ironclad stoppage of Great Republican Candidates. Put simply, the President of the United States will never be permitted to appoint the person of his choice because of an ancient, and probably Unconstitutional, CUSTOM, that if you have, even one person in the opposite Party serving in the U.S. Senate, he/she must give consent, thereby completely stopping the opposite Partys Nomination. The only way to beat this Hoax is to appoint a Democrat or, a weak and ineffective Republican. Therefore, I would never be able to appoint Great Judges or U.S. Attorneys in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Virginia, and other places, where there is, coincidentally, the highest level of crime and corruption — The places where fantastic people are most needed! Senator Grassley must step up, like Crooked Joe Biden did, when he openly broke, at least two times, the Blue Slip SCAM, and like others have done over the years, and let our Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys BE CONFIRMED. He should do this, IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective. The Democrats have broken this ridiculous custom on us, its time that we break it on them. Chuck, I know you have the Courage to do this, DO IT!” @realDonaldTrump

Fact-Check Summary

The post asserts that Senator Chuck Grassley could singlehandedly solve the Blue Slip issue in Senate judicial confirmations and claims Democrats have used Blue Slips to block highly qualified Republican nominees in several high-crime states. However, historical records and recent Senate data show that Republicans have been the main users of the Blue Slip to block Biden administration nominees. The Blue Slip is a Senate tradition, not a constitutional mandate, and while the Senate Judiciary Chair has the discretion to change its use, it is neither a simple nor automatic process. Claims that the Blue Slip directly affects U.S. Attorneys and is unconstitutional are misleading or incorrect. References to Joe Biden “breaking” the Blue Slip also exaggerate historical procedural changes rather than document clear violations.

Belief Alignment Analysis

The post’s rhetoric undermines the principles of a free, fair, and inclusive democratic process by mischaracterizing the history and mechanics of Senate traditions. It sows division by falsely portraying one party as solely responsible for obstruction and delegitimizes established, bipartisan procedures. This type of content works against democratic norms by promoting disinformation and shifting blame, rather than encouraging principled debate and respect for the Senate’s deliberative role. Calls to summarily upend custom for partisan gain, rather than reform through consensus and principle, threaten the balance of power intended within our democracy.

Opinion

Promoting factually misleading narratives about Senate procedures harms public trust and undermines the value of collaborative governance. The post’s depiction of the Blue Slip tradition ignores relevant history, misattributes blame, and conflates unrelated appointment processes to stoke partisan resentment. Instead of seeking a system that empowers all voices and upholds constitutional norms, the content encourages a power-over-principle mentality. Real patriotism involves defending democratic processes and fostering common understanding, not dismantling customs out of frustration with electoral outcomes.

TLDR

The post makes misleading and inaccurate claims about the Senate “Blue Slip” tradition, overstates Democratic obstruction, misrepresents its constitutional status, and conflates distinct processes. The factual record reveals Blue Slip usage has mainly blocked Democratic, not Republican, nominees in recent years. Urging unilateral change erodes democratic norms and misinforms the public about how our institutions function.

Claim: Senator Chuck Grassley could quickly abolish the Blue Slip custom that Democrats use to block qualified Republican judicial and U.S. Attorney nominees, a process Trump calls “ancient” and “probably unconstitutional.”

Fact: The Blue Slip is a century-old Senate tradition, not a constitutional requirement. Recent data shows Republicans have used Blue Slips more than Democrats to block nominees, especially under President Biden. The process affects federal judgeships, not U.S. Attorneys, and abolition is neither immediate nor the sole purview of Grassley. References to Biden’s role exaggerate minor procedural adjustments, and conflating judicial with U.S. Attorney appointments is inaccurate.

Opinion: Calls to abolish the Blue Slip on partisan grounds overlook the tradition’s role in balancing power and ensuring input from all states. Abandoning procedural norms out of short-term frustration undermines trust in democratic institutions and ignores the need for principled, bipartisan reform in the judicial appointment process.