President Donald Trump is continuing efforts to expand his second-term imprint on the federal judiciary, announcing several new judicial nominees in recent weeks as the Senate presses ahead with confirmations.

On June 29, Trump announced two of his latest nominees: Greg Cook, nominated to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, and Anna St. John, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Recent circuit court nominees include:

• Daniel Desmond Domenico of Colorado, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit;
• Matthew A. Schwartz of New York, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and
• Daniel Traynor, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

The president has also continued to fill vacancies on the district courts. Recent nominees include Arthur Roberts Jones, for the Southern District of Texas; Michael J. Hendershot, for the Northern District of Ohio; Matthew Byrne, for the Southern District of Ohio; Kasdin Mitchell, for the Northern District of Texas, among others.

As of early July, the Senate has confirmed 45 of Trump’s Article III judicial nominees during his second term, bringing his total number of federal judicial appointments across both administrations to 279.

The pace of new appointments has been moderated by the relatively small number of vacancies on the federal bench. As of Monday, there are 29 vacancies among roughly 870 authorized Article III judgeships, with 14 nominees awaiting Senate confirmation.

Compared with his first term, Trump has had fewer opportunities to remake the judiciary because fewer judges have retired or taken senior status. The limited number of vacancies – particularly on courts with judges appointed by Democratic presidents—has reduced the number of seats available to fill. 

Nevertheless, the administration has maintained its emphasis on nominating jurists with originalist and textualist judicial philosophies, frequently selecting candidates from state supreme courts, private practice, and the federal judiciary. 

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the White House and Senate Republican leadership are expected to continue prioritizing judicial confirmations while the party retains unified control of the nomination process.