Whitney Hermandorfer, Trump's First Judicial Pick of Second Term, Approved
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
Modi Urges Indians to Buy Local Goods After Trump Tariffs
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to buy locally made good to cushion the economy during heightened global uncertainty. The comments came days after Trump slapped a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the US and imposed higher duties on several countries, stoking concerns about a slowdown in global growth and market volatility. He didn't refer to US tariffs directly in his speech at a rally in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
India to maintain Russian oil imports despite Trump threats, government sources say
India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Saturday, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. On top of a new 25% tariff on India's exports to the U.S., Trump indicated in a Truth Social post last month that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday, Trump told reporters he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. But the sources said there would be no immediate changes. "These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." Justifying India's oil purchases from Russia, a second source said India's imports of Russian grades had helped avoid a global surge in oil prices, which have remained subdued despite Western curbs on the Russian oil sector. Unlike Iranian and Venezuelan oil, Russian crude is not subject to direct sanctions, and India is buying it below the current price cap fixed by the European Union, the source said. The New York Times also quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials on Saturday as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy. Indian government authorities did not respond to Reuters' request for official comment on its oil purchasing intentions. However, during a regular press briefing on Friday, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia. "On our energy sourcing requirements ... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances," he said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump, who has made ending Russia's war in Ukraine a priority of his administration since returning to office this year, has expressed growing impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. He has threatened 100% tariffs on U.S. imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the leading supplier to India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, accounting for about 35% of its overall supplies. India imported about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. But while the Indian government may not be deterred by Trump's threats, sources told Reuters this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil after July discounts narrowed to their lowest since 2022 - when sanctions were first imposed on Moscow - due to lower Russian exports and steady demand. Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources told Reuters. Nayara Energy - a refinery majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft, and major buyer of Russian oil - was recently sanctioned by the EU. Nayara's chief executive resigned following the sanctions, and three vessels laden with oil products from Nayara Energy have yet to discharge their cargoes, hindered by the new EU sanctions, Reuters reported last week.
2 hours ago
Senate confirms former Fox News host Pirro as top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital
WASHINGTON -- The Senate has confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, filling the post after President Donald Trump withdrew his controversial first pick, conservative activist Ed Martin Jr. Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, was confirmed 50-45. Before becoming the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in May, she co-hosted the Fox News show 'The Five' on weekday evenings, where she frequently interviewed Trump. Trump yanked Martin's nomination after a key Republican senator said he could not support him due to Martin's outspoken support for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Martin now serves as the Justice Department's pardon attorney. In 2021, voting technology company Smartmatic USA sued Fox News, Pirro and others for spreading false claims that the company helped 'steal' the 2020 presidential election from Trump. The company's libel suit, filed in a New York state court, sought $2.7 billion from the defendants. Last month, Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to send Pirro's nomination to the Senate floor after Democrats walked out to protest Emil Bove's nomination to become a federal appeals court judge. Pirro, a 1975 graduate of Albany Law School, has significantly more courtroom experience than Martin, who had never served as a prosecutor or tried a case before taking office in January. She was elected as a judge in New York's Westchester County Court in 1990 before serving three terms as the county's elected district attorney. In the final minutes of his first term as president, Trump issued a pardon to Pirro's ex-husband, Albert Pirro, who was convicted in 2000 on conspiracy and tax evasion charges.
