Two Republican senators are facing backlash from conservatives after a new report accused them of standing in the way of one of President Donald Trump’s remaining federal appeals court nominees, just weeks before Democrats take control of the Senate.
Arkansas Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman are reportedly opposing the nomination of U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, potentially jeopardizing a judicial appointment that could reshape the powerful court for years.
According to Bloomberg Law, judicial nomination insiders say the two Republicans prefer Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland for the position.
The dispute comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the White House following last week’s midterm elections, which handed Democrats control of the Senate beginning in January.
That leaves Republicans with a narrowing window to confirm Trump’s remaining judicial nominees before the incoming Democratic majority gains the power to block them.
Rudofsky, whom Trump appointed to the federal bench in 2019, currently serves on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
His confirmation to the 8th Circuit would mark a significant milestone for Trump’s judicial legacy, potentially giving the court its first majority composed entirely of Trump-appointed judges.
But the nomination has reportedly encountered resistance from within the president’s own party.
Bloomberg reported that Cotton and Boozman favor Hiland, who currently serves on Arkansas’ highest court.
🚨 UPDATE: Arkansas GOP Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman are being accused of BLOCKING one of President Trump’s final appeals court nominees, Judge Lee Rudofsky
Wtf? LET HIM THROUGH!
Judicial nominations insiders say the two are opposing Rudofsky’s Eighth Circuit nomination because they want a different pick: Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland, per Bloomberg
Attorney Mike Davis: “This is an unforgivable sin for Boozman and Cotton.” @mrddmia
Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are accused of “doing their bidding” on the Judiciary Committee 😠
TRUMP IS CLEAR: DO NOT LEAVE ANY VACANCIES FOR THE DEMS.
CONFIRM NOW.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 10, 2026
Hiland previously acknowledged that he expected to be selected for the appeals court vacancy but was instead offered a federal district judgeship, which he declined.
The Arkansas senators also did not introduce Rudofsky during his September confirmation hearing, departing from the customary practice of home-state senators supporting judicial nominees.
Neither senator immediately responded to Bloomberg’s requests for comment.
The reported opposition has angered conservative legal figures who argue that Republicans should be prioritizing Trump’s judicial appointments before losing their Senate majority.
Attorney Mike Davis, a former Senate Judiciary Committee staff member and informal legal adviser to Trump, publicly blasted the two Arkansas Republicans.
“This is an unforgivable sin for Boozman and Cotton,” Davis wrote on X.
Davis also suggested that Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina were “doing their bidding” on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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Both lawmakers serve on the committee responsible for advancing judicial nominations and could play a decisive role when Rudofsky’s nomination comes up for consideration.
Their offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the allegations of coordination have not been independently established.
Robert Luther III, who worked on judicial nominations during Trump’s first administration, also criticized the reported resistance.
“Senator Boozman is standing in the way of the first Trump-majority circuit court,” Luther told Bloomberg.
“If he wants the fact that he took out President Trump’s last circuit court nominee to be part of his political legacy, that seems like a very foolish idea.”
Luther argued that preferring another candidate should not be sufficient grounds to derail the president’s selection.
“Wanting a different person isn’t a valid reason to object to the president’s circuit court nominees,” he said. “Anybody that cares about Trump’s judicial legacy needs to have a problem with this.”
The White House has also made its position clear.
Although an administration official did not directly address the allegations against Cotton and Boozman, the official told Bloomberg that Trump expects his pending judicial nominees to be confirmed before the end of the year.
The administration warned that Senate Republicans cannot afford to leave appeals court vacancies for the incoming Democratic majority.
Rudofsky is among four pending circuit court nominees awaiting Senate action.
His nomination would fill the seat held by Judge Bobby Shepherd, a George W. Bush appointee who announced plans to assume senior status upon confirmation of his successor.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled Rudofsky’s nomination for consideration, placing additional attention on whether Republican members will support advancing him.
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee has also urged the Senate to move forward with Donald Trump‘s outstanding judicial appointments before Democrats assume control.
With the clock running down on Republican control of the chamber, the disagreement has exposed tensions over judicial appointments at a moment when every remaining confirmation carries long-term consequences.
For now, Rudofsky’s nomination remains pending, while Cotton and Boozman face growing scrutiny over reports that their preference for another Arkansas judge could complicate one of Trump’s final opportunities to reshape the federal appeals courts before January.
