I'm sorry, what do you mean TODD BLANCHE WAS SWORN IN BY EMIL BOVE?

The Senate is gone for five weeks, but there will still be lots to cover re: judicial nominations, including new nominees this month ahead of hearings in September. Subscribe to nominationnotes.com to stay updated. I'll never put my stories behind a paywall, so a free subscription is all you need!

Former January 6 prosecutor Michael Romano: "We deserve better from people who are going to hold positions of trust in the United States, who are going to preside over important cases that affect Americans' lives...If nominees can't answer basic questions about January 6, they should be voted down."

Former January 6 prosecutor Sean Murphy addresses Trump's judicial nominees: "To the judicial nominees currently playing this game: If successful, you may have won yourself a lifetime appointment, but you have lost a lifetime of credibility." "You traded a piece of your soul to occupy the seat."

The witnesses for tomorrow morning's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing were just posted: Anna St. John for the 5th Circuit, Gregory Cook for the Northern District of Alabama, Jason Manion & John Cronan for the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and Adam Candeub to lead the DOJ's Antitrust Division.

Taking a break from writing about judicial nominations to enjoy THIS.

Senator Murray deleted this post but I’m sharing my screenshot because it’s too funny not to.

Here's where things stand re: Senate Democrats (including King) supporting Trump's lifetime judicial nominees.

GRAHAM: "What we do in this room impacts the safety & prosperity of every American.
I understand the weight of this responsibility, and I intend to meet it with the same seriousness, integrity, and care that I've brought to every day of my career in South Carolina, to the people of South Carolina."

More lifetime judicial confirmations tomorrow: Daniel Traynor for the 8th Circuit and Antonio Pozos for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. There should be 30 hours of post-cloture debate on Traynor's nomination, so tomorrow's vote indicates Democrats have agreed to hold this vote early. Why?

This was the first Trump 2.0 judicial nominee supported by Senator Slotkin. Now, in total, 20 Senate Democrats have voted for at least one of Trump's lifetime judicial nominees since last year. Senator Durbin has voted for the most — with 10 — followed by Senator Kaine.

Inbox: @wedemandjustice.bsky.social President @joshorton.bsky.social is calling on Senator Slotkin to reverse course and vote NO on confirmation of Michael Martin today. “Michiganders deserve better than another Trump loyalist on the federal bench. We urge Senator Slotkin to vote no.”

New statement from @alisonmgill.bsky.social of @nwlc.org: "Unfortunately, like so many of Trump’s nominees, Flowers was picked precisely because he is willing to further an extremist political agenda rather than serve as a fair and independent arbiter of the law.”

Five votes today on Trump's lifetime judicial nominees. Two nominees will likely be confirmed, while two others will advance toward a confirmation vote in the days ahead.

Packed day tomorrow in the Senate. Senators will vote to confirm Benjamin Flowers and Michael Martin and vote to invoke cloture on the nominations of Antonio Pozos and Daniel Traynor. Flowers will be the 50th lifetime judge confirmed during Trump's second term.

Sooo close to my first 250 subscribers at Nomination Notes, where I've been covering Trump's judicial nominees for the past nine months. Please share 💕 nominationnotes.com

I'm glad @schumer.senate.gov spoke about a judicial nominee on the floor this morning, but Benjamin Flowers deserves more than 68 seconds. Much of his egregious record wasn't mentioned. @democrats.senate.gov should be doing much more to voice opposition. nominationnotes.substack.com/p/anti-civil...

Today marks 9 months of my Substack! Already, I've posted 170+ stories about Trump's judicial nominations, judicial diversity, and more. If you've appreciated my coverage and perspective on this critical issue, please help me reach more folks by sharing! Read and subscribe at nominationnotes.com.

Noting the timing of Trump's speech tonight, @joshorton.bsky.social of @wedemandjustice.bsky.social says that “Democratic senators need to wake up and join reality: there is an authoritarian in the White House who’s attacking our elections, and voting to approve his judges is a grave mistake.”

BREAKING: The Senate just confirmed Trump lawyer Matthew Schwartz — handing him a life-tenured judgeship on the powerful 2nd Circuit. He is the third of Trump's personal lawyers to be confirmed to a federal appeals court since last year following the confirmations of Emil Bove and Justin Smith.

NEW: @bennet.senate.gov opposes 10th Circuit nominee Daniel Domenico of Colorado. Says this nomination comes "at a moment when the Trump Administration has spent years undermining the rule of law and eroding the independence of the federal courts. I cannot support his nomination in this context."

BREAKING: The Senate confirmed Mike Hendershot to serve as a lifetime judge on the Northern District of Ohio. Hendershot has an anti-civil and human rights record, including working against abortion access and reproductive freedom. The Senate chose to confirm him today on the anniversary of Dobbs.

Sen @coons.senate.gov asked 8th Circuit nominee Daniel Traynor about his Nov. 2016 tweet saying “It feels good to be deplorable. #MAGA" Traynor said "This post was made following a political election campaign while I was a private citizen. At that time supporters adopted the moniker 'deplorables.'”

Today marks 8 months of my Substack! Already, I've posted 150+ stories about Trump's judicial nominations, judicial diversity, and more. If you've appreciated my coverage and perspective on this critical issue, please help me reach more folks by sharing! Read and subscribe at nominationnotes.com.

Senator Durbin asked Kasdin Mitchell about a brief she co-authored in Shelby County v. Holder when she was assistant solicitor general of Alabama. Her brief said that “Things in the South have, indeed, changed" and urged SCOTUS to gut the VRA. She said today that she stands by those arguments.

Tomorrow morning the Senate Judiciary Committee was set to advance the nominations of six more white guys to be lifetime judges, but it looks like the markup was cancelled. www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac...

8th Circuit pick Daniel Traynor scowls after senators press him on a very political letter he signed (as a judge) saying he wouldn't hire law clerks from Columbia. As they pointed out, he inserted himself into that controversy but wouldn't comment on January 6 because it's a "political controversy."

The agenda for tomorrow's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. NOTE: Michael Martin & Antonio Pozos, nominated to the bench in Michigan and Pennsylvania, respectively, are only appearing because Senators Peters, Slotkin, and Fetterman returned their blue slips & allowed Trump to fill the vacancies.

After cancelling a markup today, the Judiciary Committee has scheduled one for next Thursday, where 6 lifetime judicial nominees should receive votes. They're all white men. One is Trump's personal lawyer. One ruled in his favor while seeking a federal judgeship. All refused to say he lost in 2020.

The Senate Judiciary Committee appears to have cancelled tomorrow's markup. Four district court nominees were set to be voted on. Ben Flowers and Matt Schwartz were listed for the first time, and I assume they'll be deemed held over. I guess all six nominees will get committee votes next week!