As federal judges surpassed records in the onslaught of national orders that blocked President Donald Trump’s order, some revisited how each was confirmed and whether Republicans foresaw their ruling or did anything more to block them.
“This is why I think I voted against all of the Biden Judges,” Sen. Josh Hawley, a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital in an interview.
He acknowledged that many of the judges in question were confirmed before his time, given that he was first elected in 2018.
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Donald Trump and Judges James Boasberg, Amir Ali, Anna Reyes (via Getty Images in the Columbia/Senattle Durbin District on YouTube/Bill Pugliano)
“People told me, ‘Why don’t you vote for a Biden judge?” “That’s why.”
“Because if they’re not loyal to the rule of law, they can be sure they’re just looking for opportunities to intervene politically.”
Since Trump took office, he has faced many national injunctions to stop his administration’s actions, exponentially outweighing the numbers his predecessor saw. So far, in his new term, the court has hit him with about 15 broader orders than former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden received during their tenure.
Some of those who ordered the Trump administration to suspend certain actions are U.S. District Judges James Boasberg, Amir Ali, Lauren Alican, William Alsp, Deborah Boardman, John Corgenor, Paul A. Engelmeyer, Amy Berman Jackson, Angel Kelly, Brendan A. Harson, Royche Lambers, John Laplante, John Laplante, and 94 districts in the United States, with at least one district court in each state. These courts are the first place where a case is heard before it is likely to be appealed to a superior court.
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President Donald Trump and US District Judge James Boasberg (Getty)
Some of these judges were confirmed in the Senate in a bipartisan way, with some winning without opposition. There were others who were opposed by all Republican senators.
One of the most controversial judges, Boasberg, was known for blocking key immigration cases by the Trump administration, but was confirmed by a roll call vote after being nominated by Obama in 2011. The vote was 96-0 and Republicans didn’t oppose him.
Former Trump lawyer Jim Trust told Fox News Digital “I don’t think Republicans were very excited about the onslaught of law they saw when President Trump took office.”
“The nature of several U.S. District Court judge activists — issuing national injunctions against the administrative department in one minute notice — is unfortunate and is putting pressure on appeal courts, including Scotus, to fix these issues,” he explained.
However, he said the real problem was the “army of lawyers.”
“They spend their days dedicated to stopping President Trump’s agenda, even if it means being with members of Venezuelan gangs who have entered the US illegally,” Trust argued.
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Venezuelan immigrants arrive in Caracas, Venezuela after being deported from the US on March 24, 2025 (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
Former US lawyer and Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy told Fox News Digital that “the Republicans may have done a much better job blocking Biden’s judicial appointment.”
He pointed to Biden’s recent days as President Lame Duck, referring to the “squeaking” candidate, particularly due to Republican absences.
“The Biden candidate was extremely radical and should have opposed it as vigorously as possible,” he said. “These are lifetime appointments, and the progressive filling these slots will be a thorn on the part of the country for decades.”
But former Deputy Attorney General John Yoo emphasized that “there was no way to know how they would control in such a future case.”
He argued that the senators can do their due diligence for the best of their abilities, but they cannot see in the future.
“The Senate has the right to reject candidates who believe they will misinterpret the Constitution, but the candidates also have an obligation not to promise how they will control the case after they have joined the bench,” Yu said.
Thomas Zipping, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Mise III Center for Legal Studies, told Fox News Digital that the senator “can’t use Filibuster to defeat a judge.”
“The only way to actually beat someone’s confirmation is to have a large portion of the vote,” he explained. “If Republicans are in the minority, then at least a few Democrats need to vote for a Democratic candidate to defeat someone.”
Fox News Digital is R-KY of former Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. and contacted Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Chairman Chuck Grassley, of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to comment on how these judges will be confirmed.
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McConnell’s office did not address questions about the judge confirmed unanimously or without objection. (Anna Money Maker/Getty Images)
The senator was asked how the judge was confirmed and whether he was still happy with the individual votes. They were also asked if there was anything surprising about the judge’s records and if Republicans did enough to block certain confirmations.
McConnell’s office turned to Fox News Digital digitally on comments about the legislative break at a Kentucky press conference.
“The way the administration sees all of these restructuring efforts is legal and not defined by the court,” he told reporters in response to the legality that could put the Department of Education downturn. “I can understand the desire to reduce government spending. All governments – not so bold – I tried to do it in some way. This is a different approach… And the court will ultimately decide whether it has the authority to take these various measures.
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Grassley’s office pointed to an earlier statement from Senate spokesman Claire Slattery.
“The recent spike in drastic decisions by district judges deserves serious scrutiny. The Senate Judiciary Committee will closely review the topic at hearings and investigate potential legislative solutions in the coming weeks,” she said.
The committee is specifically scheduled for a national injunction hearing next week.
Julia Johnson is a political writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business and is a major reporter in the US Senate. She was previously a political reporter for the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s report on X @juliaajohnson_ Submit your tip to julia.johnson@fox.com.
