WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s choices for U.S. attorneys have faced significant pushback from Democratic senators with the influence to block these appointments, leading to yet another clash for the president, who values loyalty in his administration.
His nominees for key prosecutor roles in Nevada, New York, and New Jersey have encountered resistance from Democratic senators, raising concerns about a Republican president’s ability to assemble a legal team during a tumultuous period filled with ongoing investigations and varying penalties the government aims to impose.
This opposition was underscored last week when interim U.S. attorney Alina Haba from New Jersey was announced. Payment officer Ramonica McQuiber, DN.J. faced assault charges following an altercation with a federal official outside the Newark immigration detention center. McQuiber claimed the charges were “purely political.”
In the Senate, responsible for confirming presidential nominees for U.S. attorneys, at least two Democrats are poised to leverage long-standing traditions that allow home state senators to veto the appointment of federal prosecutors.
A nomination fight was withdrawn for Ed Martin, Trump’s initial choice for Washington D.C.’s top prosecutor, after both parties showed resistance to a conservative figure with scant legal credentials who had connections to the Jan. 6 rioters. The president subsequently nominated Fox News Channel host Jeanine Pirro, a former county prosecutor and longtime Trump supporter.
“Martin was an extreme case,” remarked Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “If you look at these candidates, the antennae are definitely up.”
Trump’s selections for these roles are under greater scrutiny as the president attempts to bolster arguments about Department of Justice Management and Pursuing a campaign of retaliation.
Trump’s selections heighten Democratic concerns
In Nevada, Trump has nominated a right-wing attorney, Cigar Chatta, which has sparked opposition from state Democratic Senators Katherine Cortez Mast and Jackie Rosen against his interim U.S. attorney. Rosen has stated her intention to use her Senate powers to block Chatta if the administration attempts to keep him beyond the 120-day interim period.
In New Jersey, Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, indicated he would not support Haba as a U.S. attorney, citing her background as a former Trump White House advisor and personal attorney.
New York Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has committed to blocking Trump’s candidates for two major prosecutor roles in his state. He did not express specific concerns about the candidates but highlighted what he sees as the president’s use of the Department of Justice, U.S. attorney’s offices, and law enforcement to target his perceived adversaries.
White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt stated that Trump is “proud to have appointed Alina Haba to this role, believing that she will effectively uphold law and order in New Jersey.”
The White House also criticized Schumer, who did not respond to inquiries regarding the Nevada U.S. attorneys.
“Senator Schumer and his anti-law and order party prioritize politics over critical DOJ appointments, obstructing President Trump’s agenda to ensure safety in America,” stated White House spokesperson Harrison Fields.
In turn, Schumer replied, “The Justice Department should focus on prosecuting criminals rather than targeting political enemies.”
Democrats consider employing “blue slip” power to hinder appointments
Democratic opposition poses a challenge to Trump’s nominees, especially when most Republicans in control of the Senate support them. However, a longstanding Senate tradition known as the Blue Slip grants senators the power to block appointments of U.S. District Court judges and federal prosecutors from their states.
While Republicans previously aimed to discard this tradition, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has indicated that he respects Blue Slip objections coming from home state senators regarding prosecutors and judges.
“I think we should allow senators a hand in selecting candidates for their states and ensuring the candidates reflect their states,” said committee member Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “I certainly used the blue slip when Democrat Joe Biden occupied the presidency.”
However, Hawley also cautioned about exploiting the blue slip process, expressing hope that it would not be abused.
Democrats are particularly concerned about what they see as blatant politicization by Justice Department prosecutors during Trump’s second term. They reference Martin’s temporary role following the January 6, 2021 incident when he demoted several high-ranking officials managing a case related to the Capitol riots.
Concerns also arose following the resignation of an attorney from the Southern District of New York, who was handling corruption cases against New York City Mayor Eric Adams before being rejected in April.
In April, Schumer announced he would withhold a blue slip for two U.S. attorneys in the New York City area.
In Nevada, Senators Rosen and Cortez Mast condemned Chatta’s appointment, citing his past remarks that the state’s black attorney general “should hang from the (expective) crane.”
Chatta had also labeled him an “anti-Semitic ghetto rat” in a comment regarding former black New York Congressman Jamal Bowman last year.
In a brief conversation, Chatta expressed confidence that she would “probably” be permanently appointed to the position.
“We play it by ear,” she stated without further elaboration and refrained from commenting on the senator’s objections.
Booker mentioned having a dialogue with the White House legal team regarding his state’s U.S. attorney nominations. He did not disclose whether he would exercise his blue slip power against Haba if nominated, but indicated to the AP, “I do not support her as a permanent appointee.”
Haba did not respond to a request for comment. Known for her frequent cable news appearances defending Trump during campaign events, her court experience remained limited prior to joining his legal team. During Trump’s 2024 Honor-Acceptance Trial in New York, she reportedly faced admonishments from a judge for repeatedly violating legal procedures.
In her interim capacity, Haba announced last month the initiation of an investigation into New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin.
Stephen Saltzberg, a professor at George Washington University’s law school and former Justice Department official, noted that historically, presidents tend to select U.S. attorneys affiliated with their party, traditionally earning bipartisan support.
However, he remarked, “The qualifications of some of the nominees seem to be primarily based on their loyalties to MAGA ideology.”
Saltzberg cautioned that Trump’s administration has made it clear it intends to compromise the traditional separation between the White House and the Justice Department, indicating those influences are extending into U.S. attorney offices.
“There raises concerns about the rule of law when it appears that all decisions are being dictated by the White House,” he concluded.
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Associated Press Writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
Source: apnews.com