Trump RIPS the Senate GOP and Chuck Grassley over Alina Habba

A public feud erupted between President Donald Trump and veteran Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) over the fate of Trump’s judicial and prosecutorial nominees. The tension reached a boiling point in December 2025 following the forced resignation of Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal attorney, from her role as acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.

A federal appeals court ruled that Habba was serving "unlawfully" because she had exceeded the time limits for an unconfirmed official, a situation Trump directly blamed on Grassley’s refusal to abandon Senate traditions. The core of the dispute is the "blue slip" custom, a century-old Senate norm that allows home-state senators to block federal district court and U.S. Attorney nominees.

Because New Jersey is represented by Democrats Cory Booker and Andy Kim, they successfully used the blue slip to stall Habba’s permanent confirmation. Trump has labeled the practice a "scam" and "unconstitutional," publicly slamming Grassley on social media for not "stepping up" to abolish the rule. Trump argued that Grassley’s adherence to the tradition has effectively forced him to nominate "liberals" in blue states because his own loyalists cannot get through.

Grassley, the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has remained defiant despite the personal attacks. He defended the blue slip as a vital tool that protects the minority party—noting that it allows Republicans to block radical liberal nominees when Democrats are in power.

Grassley expressed that he was "offended" and "disappointed" by Trump’s insults, maintaining that he has worked to ensure the long-term success of the conservative judicial movement rather than engaging in short-term political maneuvers that could backfire on Republicans in the future.

The fallout from this clash has led to a significant vacancy in the District of New Jersey and heightened calls from the White House to overhaul Senate procedures. Following her resignation, Habba transitioned to a role as a Senior Advisor to Attorney General Pam Bondi, while Trump has threatened to file a lawsuit to strike down the blue slip tradition entirely.

As 2025 draws to a close, the "blue slip" remains one of the most contentious hurdles in Trump’s second-term effort to reshape the federal workforce