“You know I can’t appoint anybody,” Trump said. “Everybody I’ve appointed, their time has expired. Then they’re in default, then we’re losing.”

Trump’s disdain for the “blue slip” practice for judicial nominees is well known, and he’s repeatedly called for Congress to abolish it. Republicans have so far given rare resistance to Trump’s wishes, with Senate Republicans siding with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who has been a strong defender of the century-old unofficial rule.

The Senate Judiciary Committee typically doesn’t advance judicial nominees unless both senators from the state of the appointment return a blue slip in favor of the nominee. With Democrats steadfastly against Trump’s nominees, he has been forced to appoint his picks to short terms that quickly expire. Attempts to stay past their deadline have been dealt a critical blow in the courts, most recently resulting in the resignation of a major Trump ally, Habba.

Habba announced her resignation in a post on X on Monday, saying she was doing so to protect “the stability and integrity of the office which I love.” However, she insisted that her exit should not be seen as a retreat, adding, “Do not mistake compliance for surrender.”

“This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me,” she said.

Habba still has a slim chance of returning to the position, with Attorney General Pam Bondi vowing that the Department of Justice will seek further review of the appeals court ruling from last week and that Habba would return as U.S. attorney if the decision is reversed. Until then, Habba will serve as a senior adviser to Bondi.

Trump’s fury over the blue slip practice reached its zenith over the summer when he demanded Grassley do away with the custom over Democrats’ stoppage of his candidates in key states.

FORMER TRUMP LAWYER ALINA HABBA RESIGNS AS ACTING US ATTORNEY FOR NEW JERSEY

He bemoaned that due to the procedure, he would “never” be able to appoint judges or U.S. attorneys in states such as California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Virginia, where “the highest level of crime and corruption — The places where fantastic people are most needed!”

“Senator Grassley must step up, like Crooked Joe Biden did, when he openly broke, at least two times, the ‘Blue Slip’ SCAM, and like others have done over the years, and let our Great Republican Judges and U.S. Attorneys BE CONFIRMED. He should do this, IMMEDIATELY, and not let the Democrats laugh at him and the Republican Party for being weak and ineffective,” Trump said.