On December 8, President Donald Trump was surprised by Senate tradition blocking his nominees, preventing him from achieving the results voters expected after his decisive victory in 2024.
After Trump’s blunt words made the rounds in media circles, a clip resurfaced of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s July outburst over his decision to keep the “sacred” blue slip precedent in place. This prompted Grassley to once again defend Senate tradition in an X post on December 11. Yet the question remains: What is the blue slip, and why are Republicans allowing Democrats to use it to block Trump’s agenda?
