Two Republican senators are drawing ire from conservatives following reports that they are obstructing one of President Trump’s remaining nominees for the federal appeals court. This situation arises just weeks before Democrats take over the Senate.
Arkansas Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman are reportedly opposing U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky’s nomination to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Their actions could threaten a judicial appointment that would profoundly influence the court for years to come.
As mentioned in Bloomberg Law, insiders within the judicial nomination sphere suggest that the two GOP senators favor Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland for the role.
This contention comes at a critical time for the White House, especially following the recent midterm elections that gave control of the Senate to Democrats starting in January.
The timeframe is urgent for Republicans, as they look to confirm Trump’s remaining judicial picks before the Democratic majority gains the ability to obstruct them.
Rudofsky, who Trump appointed to the federal bench in 2019, is currently serving on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
If confirmed to the 8th Circuit, Rudofsky would help cement Trump’s judicial legacy, potentially leading to the court’s first majority comprised of judges appointed by Trump.
However, the nomination has reportedly faced resistance from within Trump’s own party.
Bloomberg indicates that Cotton and Boozman prefer Hiland, who currently serves on Arkansas’ highest court.
UPDATE: Arkansas GOP Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman are being accused of BLOCKING one of President Trump’s final appeals court nominees, Judge Lee Rudofsky
Wtf? LET HIM THROUGH!
Judicial nominations insiders say the two are opposing Rudofsky’s Eighth Circuit nomination because they want a different pick: Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland, per Bloomberg
Attorney Mike Davis: “This is an unforgivable sin for Boozman and Cotton.” @mrddmia
Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are accused of “doing their bidding” on the Judiciary Committee
TRUMP IS CLEAR: DO NOT LEAVE ANY VACANCIES FOR THE DEMS.
CONFIRM NOW.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 10, 2026
Hiland had previously anticipated being chosen for the appeals court but instead received an offer for a federal district judgeship, which he turned down.
Additionally, the Arkansas senators did not endorse Rudofsky during his confirmation hearing in September, a departure from standard practices where home-state senators support judicial nominees.
Neither senator responded swiftly to inquiries from Bloomberg regarding this situation.
The reported opposition has incited frustration among conservative legal circles, who believe that Republicans should prioritize confirming Trump’s judicial nominees while they still hold the Senate majority.
Attorney Mike Davis, a former staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee and informal advisor to Trump, publicly condemned the actions of the two Arkansas senators.
“This is an unforgivable sin for Boozman and Cotton,” Davis stated on X.
Davis also claimed that Republican Senators John Cornyn from Texas and Thom Tillis from North Carolina were “doing their bidding” on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Both Cotton and Boozman are influential members of the committee responsible for pushing forward judicial nominations, and they could significantly impact Rudofsky’s nomination.
Their offices have yet to respond to requests for comments, and the claims of coordinated efforts remain unverified.
Robert Luther III, who participated in judicial nominations during Trump’s initial term, additionally criticized the reported resistance.
“Senator Boozman is standing in the way of the first Trump-majority circuit court,” Luther stated, emphasizing the importance of supporting Trump’s nominees.
“If he desires to make the fact that he obstructed President Trump’s last circuit court nominee part of his political legacy, that seems like a rather unwise approach.”
Luther contended that preferring another candidate should not justify hindering the president’s choices for circuit court appointments.
“Wanting a different person isn’t a valid reason to object to the president’s circuit court nominees,” he added. “Anyone who values Trump’s judicial legacy should be concerned about this.”
The White House has expressed its position clearly.
While an administration representative did not directly comment on the allegations against Cotton and Boozman, the official indicated that Trump expects his pending judicial nominees to receive confirmation by the year’s end.
The administration has cautioned that Senate Republicans cannot afford to leave appeals court vacancies open for the incoming Democratic majority.
Rudofsky is one of four circuit court nominees awaiting action from the Senate.
His nomination aims to fill the seat previously held by Judge Bobby Shepherd, a George W. Bush appointee, who has announced plans to move to senior status once his successor is confirmed.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has set a date for considering Rudofsky’s nomination, highlighting whether Republican members will support advancing it.
Senator Mike Lee of Utah has also called on the Senate to expedite confirmations of Trump’s outstanding judicial appointments prior to the Democrats assuming control.
As time runs out on Republican leadership, this division has revealed underlying tensions regarding judicial appointments, with every remaining nomination holding significant long-term implications.
Currently, Rudofsky’s nomination remains pending, while Cotton and Boozman are under increasing scrutiny for potentially complicating one of Trump’s last chances to influence the federal appeals courts before January.
