Staff Reports
The latest antics from Virginia’s Democratic Senators are textbook examples of obstructing President Trump’s agenda. Once again, they’re aiming to derail a Trump nomination—Lindsey Halligan for U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. Using an outdated tradition, these senators are trying to keep their hands firmly on the wheel, preventing qualified candidates from doing the people’s work.
Blue slips, as the Democrats wield them, are less about tradition and more about throwing a wrench into the administration’s plans. They’ve turned what should be a formality into a blunt tool for political gamesmanship, all while shouting democracy from their cherry-picked papers. Halligan’s credentials speak for themselves, yet Senators Kaine and Warner can’t seem to find a reason to support her. It seems their only real objection is the fact that she was chosen by this administration.
🚨 JUST IN: Sen. John Thune tells President Trump NO, the blue slip tradition is HERE TO STAY – which lets Democrats unilaterally block Trump's judicial and US attorney nominees
"This has been in place for a long time…both Republicans and Democrats support."
"We've moved his… https://t.co/5EPdwFP9Ew pic.twitter.com/aaWqangLQe
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 11, 2025
The irony is thicker than a winter fog. These same senators would be screaming in the streets if Republicans dared to use such a tactic against their darlings of justice and equity. Yet, they cling to this obsolete procedure with the tight grip of desperation. It’s shameless, double-standard politics, where the rules apply differently based on party lines instead of merit and fairness.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans keep the blue slip practice alive, hoping to use it when Democrats inevitably try to stack the courts with their own radical picks. But there’s a difference between prudent oversight and petty obstructionism. The former aims for balanced governance, while the latter only serves to drag the American people through more red tape.
Is this the America they want—where quibbles over tradition block the path of progress? It’s high time the Senate put national interest above its partisan bickering. The Democrats better decide whose side they’re really on: progress or politics as usual.
