logo
Whitney Hermandorfer, Trump's First Judicial Pick of Second Term, Approved

Whitney Hermandorfer, Trump's First Judicial Pick of Second Term, Approved

Newsweek14-07-2025
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's first judicial nominee of his second term, approving Whitney Hermandorfer to serve on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 46–42 vote fell strictly along party lines.
Hermandorfer previously served as director of strategic litigation for the Tennessee attorney general, where she defended several of Trump's policies, including efforts to end birthright citizenship and support for the state's near-total abortion ban.
Hermandorfer's confirmation underscores Trump's continued effort to shape the federal judiciary, a campaign that defined much of his first term. Under Trump's previous administration, the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed 234 federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices. Democrats responded during President Joe Biden's term by confirming 235 judges of their own — a record that Trump is now seeking to surpass.
Whitney Hermandorfer of the Tennessee Attorney General's Office speaks before a panel of judges, April 4, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
Whitney Hermandorfer of the Tennessee Attorney General's Office speaks before a panel of judges, April 4, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
Associated Press
Unlike the start of his first term, when Trump inherited more than 100 judicial vacancies due to the GOP-led Senate's obstruction during President Barack Obama's final years, he now faces a slimmer number — 49 vacancies out of nearly 900 federal judgeships. Still, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has vowed to press ahead with confirmations, noting that although there are fewer openings this time, the Republican-led Senate will prioritize moving nominees swiftly.
Critics of Hermandorfer's nomination have pointed to her limited courtroom experience — she graduated from law school just ten years ago — and what they view as a deeply ideological background.
Her record drew sharp criticism from Democrats and progressive legal groups, who labeled her views extreme and pointed to her office's defense of Tennessee's stringent abortion ban. Prior to that role, Hermandorfer clerked for three U.S. Supreme Court justices.
At her confirmation hearing, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) questioned her qualifications, citing the "striking brevity" of her litigation record. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, accused Trump of valuing personal loyalty and political alignment over judicial independence.
The Judiciary Committee is also preparing to vote on additional nominees, including Emil Bove, a senior Justice Department official and former Trump attorney nominated for the Third Circuit. Bove's nomination has drawn scrutiny following allegations from a whistleblower who claimed Bove suggested the administration might need to defy judicial rulings. Bove has denied the accusation and instead criticized the FBI for "insubordination," claiming agents refused to identify those involved in the Capitol riot investigation and that he dismissed prosecutors tied to the Jan. 6 cases.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper running for Senate
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper running for Senate

Yahoo

time4 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper running for Senate

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced he's running for Senate Monday, in a bid to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who was up for reelection in 2026 and recently said he'd retire at the end of his term. In a video post, Cooper, a Democrat, portrayed his campaign as a fight to save the middle class. "Today, for too many Americans, the middle class feels like a distant dream," he said in the video. "Meanwhile the biggest corporations and the richest Americans have grabbed unimaginable wealth at your expense. It's time for that to change." He warned that the country is now "facing a moment as fragile as any I can remember," and said the next election would "determine if we even have a middle class in America." The former governor said that he'd have preferred to stay and serve in North Carolina, but felt he had to run for Senate because of the decisions D.C. politicians have made to increase the national debt and cut health care and programs to help the poor "just to give tax breaks to billionaires." Earlier this month, Congress passed the massive spending measure known as the "big beautiful bill," which extends President Trump's 2017 tax cuts, increases border security, defense and energy production spending and is paid for in part by significant cuts to health care and nutrition programs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over the next 10 years and leave millions without health insurance, though Republicans and the White House dispute those forecasts. Cooper was a two-term governor who unseated the Republican incumbent, Pat McCrory, and previously served nearly four terms as state attorney general. He was the longest-serving state attorney general in North Carolina's history. "I want to serve as your next United States Senator, because, even now, I still believe our best days are ahead," Cooper said. Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley is also expected to announce a bid for Tilllis' Senate seat in the coming days. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand welcomed Cooper to the race, saying in a joint statement that he's "a formidable candidate who will flip North Carolina's Senate seat, and his announcement is the latest indication that the Republicans' Senate majority is at risk in 2026." "The Wizard of Oz" as you've never seen it before Extreme heat scorches the East Concern grows over increased threats against U.S. lawmakers

EU, US to form metals alliance to counterbalance Chinese overcapacity
EU, US to form metals alliance to counterbalance Chinese overcapacity

Yahoo

time4 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

EU, US to form metals alliance to counterbalance Chinese overcapacity

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union and United States will develop a metals alliance to mitigate the impact of subsidised Chinese production on global markets as part of their trade deal, European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Monday. Sefcovic said that, in their hours of discussions to reach an agreement, U.S. officials came to realise the U.S. and EU steel sectors faced the same problem. As such, EU steel and aluminium makers will be granted a quota system with minimal or zero tariffs to replace U.S. President Donald Trump's 50% import tariffs. The system is yet to be finalised. "The agreement is clear prospect of joint action on steel, aluminium, copper and the derivatives in what I'd like to call a metals alliance, effectively creating a joint ring-fence around our respective economies through tariff rate quotas at historic levels with preferential treatment," Sefcovic told a press conference. "It became very, very clear that if it comes to steel and metals we are not each other's problem." he continued. For Europe, finding a way to remove U.S. steel tariffs has become even more urgent as its smelters are losing scrap supplies to U.S. plants. Scrap is a major input in smelters because it is sold at a discount to primary metal and is less energy-intensive to turn into a finished product. The possible alliance and quota system reveal growing momentum to counter Chinese output. At the Group of Seven (G7) nations finance meeting in May, officials agreed to tackle "excessive imbalances" in the global economy without explicitly naming China. "I have to say that despite the strenuous efforts of my colleagues and myself and several long meetings with my Chinese counterparts, unfortunately, the list of the accumulated issues on the table will not get shorter, but just grew longer," Sefcovic said, referring to last week's EU-China Summit. "Clearly the issue is overcapacity. The issue is linked with what we perceive as illegal subsidies." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store