Biden secures 235th confirmed judicial appointee, one more than Trump

21/12/2024 14:03

Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden secured his 235th appointment to the federal judiciary on Friday, narrowly surpassing President-elect Donald Trump's first-term tally by one with a record number of women and people of color named to the bench.



The Democratic-led U.S. Senate voted to confirm two of Biden's nominees to serve as life-tenured federal trial court judges in California, capping off a four-year effort by the White House to reshape a federal judiciary that shifted ideologically to the right during the first presidential term of Trump, a Republican.

Biden now ranks No. 2 in history for the most judicial appointments in a single four-year term, beating the 234 Trump named. Democratic former President Jimmy Carter holds the one-term record with 262 judges appointed.



"It is historic," Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. "It sets a record."



Biden surpassed Trump's first-term record despite inheriting fewer than half as many vacancies to fill when he took office as Trump. But Biden appointed fewer appeals court judges than Trump and only one U.S. Supreme Court justice compared with Trump's three.