Little Rock, Ark. – Attorneys who worked closely with President Trump are accusing the state’s senior Republican senators of trying to derail the president’s nominee, Judge Lee Rudofsky, for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.
Trump‑aligned lawyers allege Senate obstruction
Robert Luther, who served as an associate counsel to President Donald Trump during his first term and helped manage the judicial selection process, told KATV that Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton are lobbying fellow Republicans to vote against Rudofsky. “From what I’ve heard, Senator Boozman is lobbying some of the Republicans to vote against him to stop him in his tracks,” Luther said. “The Arkansas senators are objecting to the president’s pick. They are standing in the way of the president getting the nominee he wants on the federal bench.”
Background on the nomination
Judge Rudofsky has sat on the Eastern District of Arkansas bench since 2019. In August, President Trump nominated him to replace semi‑retiring Judge Bobby Shepherd on the 8th Circuit, which serves Arkansas, Missouri and five other states. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the nomination in September, and the final confirmation vote is slated for next Tuesday.
Luther suggested the senators’ opposition may stem from a prior understanding that Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland would receive the appointment. He said the president’s change of mind in August left Boozman feeling sidelined.
Potential impact of a blocked vote
According to Luther, if the nomination fails, the 8th Circuit will remain without a judge in that seat until the next election cycle, a missed opportunity to solidify the president’s judicial legacy before Democrats take control of the Senate in January. “If Judge Rudofsky doesn’t get through, there will be no Trump appointee in this seat, full stop,” he warned.
Counterpoint from a former Senate staffer
University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law professor Robert Steinbuch, a former counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, called the alarm “false.” He explained that Republicans still hold a Senate majority until January and can proceed with the nomination, choose an alternative candidate, or take no action at all. “A claim to the contrary fundamentally misunderstands the basic processes of the U.S. Senate,” Steinbuch said.
Steinbuch also noted that while it is unusual for home‑state senators to oppose a same‑party president’s nominee, the Constitution gives them the right to withhold support. “It’s certainly unusual for senators to object to the president’s choice, but it is within their constitutional authority,” he added.
What’s next?
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s final vote on Rudofsky’s confirmation is expected next Tuesday. KATV has reached out to the offices of Senators Boozman and Cotton for comment and is awaiting a response.
Original reporting: KATV Little Rock (local) — read the source article.
