On Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump circumvented an effort by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schumer-intervenes-block-trumps-us-attorney-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">block</a> one of his nominees for a key federal prosecutor role in New York.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114349929882626042" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Truth Social that he was appointing Jay Clayton to become interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, sidestepping the Senate confirmation process that Schumer sought to jam, at least for now.
&#8220;I am pleased to announce that Jay Clayton will serve as the Interim United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. During my First Term, Jay served with great distinction as the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and earned the respect of everyone,&#8221; Trump said.
Trump noted that he first announced his intent to nominate Clayton for the Southern District of New York in mid-November and contended that his pick had received &#8220;wide, Bipartisan support.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;Now, after five months and, even though Jay was previously confirmed by the Senate on a Bipartisan basis, and has complied with ALL requests of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Schumer has announced that he is blocking all New York U.S. Attorney Nominees.&#8221;
Schumer said earlier on Wednesday that he intended to stop Clayton as well as Joseph Nocella Jr., a Long Island judge chosen for U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, using the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition in which home-state senators can effectively block a nominee if they do not support the individual.
&#8220;Donald Trump has made clear he has no fidelity to the law and intends to use the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney offices and law enforcement as weapons to go after his perceived enemies,&#8221; Schumer said in a <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-uses-blue-slip-to-block-trump-us-attorney-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
He added, &#8220;Such blatant and depraved political motivations are deeply corrosive to the rule of law and leaves me deeply skeptical of the [sic] Donald Trump’s intentions for these important positions. For that reason, I will not return the blue slip for the U.S. Attorney nominees for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.&#8221;
The Republican majority Senate Judiciary Committee has the power to disregard Schumer and proceed with the nominees in spite of his protest. However, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/us/schumer-trump-new-york-prosecutors.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> to The New York Times that his panel would not break the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition.
In his Wednesday post, Trump stated that his administration remains committed to securing full Senate confirmation for Clayton, advancing past his temporary U.S. attorney role, as with Ed Martin and Alina Habba, interim top federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey, respectively.
&#8220;The Southern District leads the Department of Justice’s oversight over our Financial Markets, and fights for the safety of Millions of New Yorkers and the over 60 Million people who visit New York annually,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;The Southern District needs strong leadership NOW, and I thank Jay for taking on this role while we continue to pursue his Senate confirmation.&#8221;

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Trump Outmaneuvers Schumer On Pick For Top Federal Prosecutor

Chuck Schumer

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Donald Trump

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U.S. attorneys

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced on Wednesday that he intended to stop two of President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominees for U.S. attorney positions in New York.
The move hinges on the &#8220;blue slip&#8221; tradition in which home-state senators can effectively block a nominee if they do not support the individual.
&#8220;Donald Trump has made clear he has no fidelity to the law and intends to use the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney offices and law enforcement as weapons to go after his perceived enemies,&#8221; Schumer said in a <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/schumer-uses-blue-slip-to-block-trump-us-attorney-nominees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
He added, &#8220;Such blatant and depraved political motivations are deeply corrosive to the rule of law and leaves me deeply skeptical of the [sic] Donald Trump’s intentions for these important positions. For that reason, I will not return the blue slip for the U.S. Attorney nominees for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.&#8221;
The affected nominees are former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, picked to become U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Joseph Nocella Jr., a Long Island judge chosen for U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
If Republicans on the Judiciary Committee choose to disregard Schumer, they could advance the nominees. However, Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) appears unwilling to depart from the norm.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/us/schumer-trump-new-york-prosecutors.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Grassley affirming, &#8220;The answer is yes,&#8221; when asked about adhering to the blue slip tradition. &#8220;If they are from the state the nomination comes from.&#8221;
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a member of the judiciary panel, told the news outlet that the blue slip tradition &#8220;serves a useful purpose even when in Democratic hands.&#8221; He added, &#8220;Obviously we value the ability to, appropriately, stop some nominees.&#8221;
Democrats have employed another tactic to stymie a different U.S. attorney nominee.
Earlier this month, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) <a href="https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/statement-sen-schiff-announces-hold-on-d-c-u-s-attorney-nominee-ed-martin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> that he would place a hold on the nomination of Ed Martin to be U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a role he currently serves in an interim capacity.
A hold requires Senate majority leadership to schedule a floor vote for a nominee, bypassing the faster unanimous consent process.
Trump allies have sounded the alarm.
Responding to a post on X about Senate Democrats obstructing Trump&#8217;s picks for top prosecutor roles, his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., <a href="https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1912490445818511451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;We can&#8217;t let the swamp block my father&#8217;s picks for US Attorney!!!&#8221;

Schumer Intervenes To Block Two Of Trump’s U.S. Attorney Nominees

Chuck Grassley

John Cornyn

Politics

A former U.S. attorney nominated by former President Joe Biden was found dead over the weekend in Virginia, according to authorities.
&#8220;This morning, at approximately 9:18 a.m., Alexandria Police responded to the 900 block of Beverley Drive for the report of an unresponsive woman. Officers located a deceased woman,&#8221; the Alexandria Police Department said in a <a href="https://x.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1903561751683125400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Saturday.
&#8220;Following notification of family members, the Alexandria Police Department can confirm the identity of the woman as Ms. Jessica Aber, age 43, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia,&#8221; police added.
&#8220;As a matter of protocol, an investigation is underway surrounding the circumstances of her death,&#8221; the department said. &#8220;The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia will determine the cause and manner of death.&#8221;
Aber <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/us-attorney-jessica-d-aber-announces-resignation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">served</a> more than three years as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. She had been nominated for the role by Biden in August of 2021 and was confirmed by the Senate in October of that year. She resigned on January 20, just as President Donald Trump began his second term.
&#8220;I’ve had the privilege of spending my career as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia working alongside talented, hard-working public servants who manage matters affecting citizens here and across the world,&#8221; Aber said upon announcing her plans to resign.
&#8220;Concluding my service to the District as its U.S. Attorney has been an honor beyond measure,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I am deeply grateful to Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) and to President Biden for the opportunity to lead this office, and to Attorney General [Merrick] Garland for his steadfast leadership. I am proud of the work we have done with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to enforce the law and build community trust.&#8221;
A number of officials released statements in response to Aber&#8217;s death.
&#8220;The loss of Jessica Aber, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, is deeply tragic. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends during this profoundly difficult time,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1903628602010198035" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Kaine <a href="https://x.com/timkaine/status/1903601607809343702" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X, &#8220;My prayers are with Jessica Aber’s loved ones. Jessica was an exceptional public servant who dedicated her life to serving her fellow Virginians. She will be deeply missed.&#8221;

Jessica Aber

Biden-Nominated Former U.S. Attorney Found Dead At 43

Department of Justice

General

Joe Biden

Pam Bondi

Police

Tim Kaine

Virginia

President Donald Trump, in a move reminiscent of many presidents before him, issued instructions for removing “all remaining ‘Biden Era’ U.S. Attorneys.”
“Over the past four years, the Department of Justice has been politicized like never before,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114027416979768016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social on Tuesday. “Therefore, I have instructed the termination of ALL remaining ‘Biden Era’ U.S. Attorneys. We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System — THAT BEGINS TODAY!”
Trump is hardly the first president to conduct such an action; President Bill Clinton <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/so-is-this-us-attorney-purge-unprecedented-or-not/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fired</a> 93 U.S. attorneys shortly after taking office in 1993, and President Obama “<a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2009/05/obama-to-replace-us-attorneys-018390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replaced</a>” several U.S. attorneys starting in May 2009.
In February 2021, reports surfaced that the Biden administration would fire U.S. attorneys who the Senate confirmed during the Trump administration. “The resignation request is expected to apply to 56 Senate-confirmed US attorneys appointed by Trump,” CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/08/politics/leftover-trump-us-attorneys/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time. “Justice officials have scheduled a call with US attorneys around the country to discuss a transition that is expected to take weeks. The Justice official didn&#8217;t say when the resignations would take effect.”
In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions called for the resignation of 46 U.S. attorneys. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) threatened Trump on Twitter, writing, “Newsflash, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a>: The Senate confirms US Attorneys. And you&#8217;re not replacing real prosecutors with cronies w/out a massive fight.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Newsflash, <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>: The Senate confirms US Attorneys. And you&#39;re not replacing real prosecutors with cronies w/out a massive fight.
&mdash; Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/840939286094598144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last weekend, it was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-court-judges-fired-firings-d35eed0f685739c4a19d4c8baf39113a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Trump administration fired 20 immigration judges. Sirce Owen, acting director of the Department of Justice, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-administration-fires-more-than-dozen-immigration-judges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that the Biden administration “severely undermined” the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), saying, “An effort to restore those values and to re-establish EOIR as a model administrative adjudicatory body is well underway. If all employees are willing to join that effort, then there will be no limit to what EOIR can achieve.”
In January, only days before Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. attorney whose office led prosecutions in cases related to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/united-states-attorney-matthew-m-graves-step-down-january-16-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stepped down</a>.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves’ record with January 6 cases drew heavy criticism; Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) <a href="https://x.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1873815480839843868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Graves&#8217; resignation by saying, “The pawn at the helm of DOJ’s targeting of Joe Biden’s political opponents — just resigned ahead of President Trump’s inauguration &#8230; The Swamp knows that justice is coming.”

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‘We Must Clean House Immediately’: Trump Firing All ‘Biden-Era’ U.S. Attorneys

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Trump Outmaneuvers Schumer On Pick For Top Federal Prosecutor

Schumer Intervenes To Block Two Of Trump’s U.S. Attorney Nominees

Biden-Nominated Former U.S. Attorney Found Dead At 43

‘We Must Clean House Immediately’: Trump Firing All ‘Biden-Era’ U.S. Attorneys