The Senate has confirmed President Trump’s first judicial nominee of his second term, approving Whitney Hermandorfer to serve on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 46-42 party-line vote.
Hermandorfer, formerly director of strategic litigation for Tennessee’s attorney general, has defended several of Trump’s key policies, including his push to end birthright citizenship. She also previously clerked for three Supreme Court justices.
With her confirmation, Trump now faces 49 vacancies across the nearly 900-seat federal judiciary. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote this week on additional nominees, including Emil Bove, a former Trump attorney and current top Justice Department official nominated to the Third Circuit. Bove has drawn attention for accusing FBI officials of “insubordination” related to Jan. 6 investigations and for firing prosecutors involved in those cases.
