{
  "id": 12114502,
  "title": "Democratic-controlled Senate would confirm ‘very few’ Trump nominees",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/democratic-controlled-senate-would-confirm-very-few-trump-nominees",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-05T08:53:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/10/05/2026/democratic-controlled-senate-would-confirm-very-few-trump-nominees"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "If Democrats secure control of the Senate during the upcoming midterms, they are expected to confirm only a small number of President Donald Trump's nominees. The Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, has stated that \"very few\" of Trump's selections would pass through Senate confirmation, particularly if his nominees are deemed \"crappy\" as some have been. Schumer believes that the quality of the candidate matters most, given Trump's history of appointing \"notoriously bad\" individuals.\n\nWith Democrats poised to gain control of the House, the potential for large bipartisan legislative achievements may be limited in the upcoming year. However, if Republicans manage to retain the Senate, they would retain the power to confirm Trump's nominees, notably lifetime judicial appointments. Senate Minority Leader Schumer's comments indicate that Democratic control of the Senate would make the battle to confirm nominees intense, with committee chairmen likely obstructing Trump's picks and Schumer potentially refusing to put them on the floor.\n\nConfirmation of Cabinet secretaries and other executive branch nominees could be particularly challenging under Democratic control, with Schumer indicating that there may only be a handful of judicial confirmations. Moreover, the prospect of a Democratic Senate confirming a Supreme Court nominee following a vacancy is unlikely, especially in light of the obstruction tactics used by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during President Barack Obama's tenure.\n\nThe last time the president's party lost control of the Senate during a midterm election was in 2014, when Republicans faced a \"red wave\" that resulted in limited lower-level judicial confirmations, a blocked Supreme Court seat, and even a delayed confirmation for Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. Historical precedent suggests that a Democratic-controlled Senate would likely employ obstruction and opposition similar to McConnell's approach during Obama's presidency.\n\nDespite the challenges, Trump's administration can rely on acting officials in the executive branch to fill vacancies using its blunt confirmation tools. If Republicans lose Senate control, they could use the remaining time to confirm as many nominees as possible during November and December before Schumer assumes leadership again. Currently, there are 27 judicial vacancies at the district level, 10 nominees to fill those positions, primarily in Republican states, and a handful of nominees ready to be confirmed to federal appeals courts. Should Republicans maintain control of the Senate, judicial appointments may be prioritized for the next two years.",
  "summary": "If Democrats are in charge, don’t expect many of the president’s picks to move at all.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}