The Biden administration is packing up shop. But Joe Biden has one more huge decision to make.
That’s why Trump is nervous about this huge Joe Biden ruling coming down.
One of Donald Trump’s biggest wins during his first term in office was certainly his ability to nominate and confirm three Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court bench and nominate a whole slew of federal judges in lower courts and the appellate court systems. His judicial appointment success is second to none when you compare that aspect of his Presidency to the administrations of old.
He’s hoping to get another chance to truly cement his legacy on that front during his second term in the Oval Office. Though, Joe Biden has an opening to get in the way of that being the case with the power of the pen from the White House. Whether he will do it is what everyone is waiting to see.
Trump’s Judicial Legacy Set to Strengthen in His Second Term
With Donald J. Trump securing a second term as President of the United States, his influence on the federal judiciary is poised to grow even further, potentially reshaping the nation’s legal landscape for generations. The passing of a new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, which proposes the addition of 66 new judges to federal courts across the country, sets the stage for a significant expansion of the judicial branch. With Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, the bill’s provisions could further solidify the conservative tilt of the courts — a legacy he began building during his first term.
The bill, which passed the House with a 236-173 vote, aims to address the growing demands on the federal judicial system by adding new judgeships in 25 federal district courts across 13 states, including critical jurisdictions such as California, Florida, and Texas. These areas have experienced significant population growth and an increased number of legal cases, necessitating additional judicial resources.
The implementation of the bill would occur over several stages, culminating in 2035. While the proposal received bipartisan support in the Senate earlier this year, it only reached the House for a vote after Trump’s victory in the November presidential election.
While the bill passed in the House, it faces opposition from President-elect Biden, who has expressed concerns about the timing of the vote and the potential long-term impact on the judiciary. As an outgoing president, Biden has signaled his intention to veto the bill, citing the delayed vote and the potential for an overly partisan judicial overhaul.
The debate over judicial appointments has become a central point of contention, especially as Trump’s influence on the courts is set to grow during his second term. During his first term, Trump appointed 234 judges, including three Supreme Court justices, securing a solid conservative majority on the nation’s highest court. Critics, such as Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, argue that Republicans are using the bill to further entrench Trump’s influence over the judiciary by pushing through more appointments during a transitional period in the presidency.
In defense of the bill, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) emphasized the need for more judges, pointing to a 30% increase in federal caseloads since the last judiciary expansion. “This should not be a political issue – it should be about prioritizing the needs of the American people and ensuring the courts are able to deliver fair, impartial, and timely justice,” Johnson said in a statement, arguing that the expansion is necessary for the effective functioning of the legal system.
Trump’s Growing Influence in the Judiciary
Trump’s first term saw his judicial appointments leave a lasting impact on the federal judiciary. Upon taking office, Trump inherited 108 judicial vacancies, and by the end of his term, he had appointed 234 judges, including three Supreme Court justices. His appointments were instrumental in shifting the courts to the right, with many of his appointees expected to hold seats for decades.
Now, with his victory in the 2024 election, Trump is positioned to build on this legacy. With 47 current vacancies in the federal judiciary and 20 more expected in the near future, Trump’s second term offers him an opportunity to continue filling these positions with conservative-leaning judges. This will likely further solidify his impact on the judiciary, ensuring that his influence is felt long after he leaves office.
In fact, the bill passed by the House could accelerate this process, as it would create even more opportunities for Trump to appoint judges in key districts across the country. If the legislation is implemented, his appointments during a second term could dramatically shift the judicial landscape, entrenching a conservative majority at both the district and appellate court levels for years to come.
As the bill moves through the legislative process, Senate Democrats face increasing pressure to confirm as many of President Biden’s judicial nominees as possible before Trump takes office in January. Progressive groups like Demand Justice are pushing Senate leadership to expedite these confirmations in order to ensure that Biden leaves a lasting mark on the judiciary. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has stated that Democrats are doing all they can to confirm judicial nominees before Trump assumes the presidency.
For Senate Democrats, however, this raises a difficult political dilemma: If Biden’s nominees are not confirmed before Trump takes office, Republicans will likely gain the ability to reshape the courts even further, cementing a conservative judiciary that could endure for decades.
Trump’s Second Term and the Future of the Judiciary
With the passing of this bill and the potential for a second term, Trump’s judicial legacy is on the verge of becoming even more pronounced. The addition of new judgeships would give him more opportunities to appoint judges who share his ideological stance, solidifying the conservative influence that has already taken root in the federal courts.
For many, the implications of these judicial appointments cannot be overstated. The courts play a critical role in shaping U.S. policy on issues ranging from civil rights to immigration, environmental protections, and healthcare. With Trump’s second term, the potential for further conservative shifts in the courts may significantly alter the direction of these policies for the foreseeable future.
As the judicial system faces continued strain from increasing caseloads, the outcome of this legislative debate — and Trump’s ability to influence judicial appointments — will have lasting implications for the U.S. legal realm. Whether the bill passes or faces a veto from President Biden, the broader struggle over judicial appointments remains a central issue in American politics, one that could define the future of the judiciary for decades to come.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
