The White House was all but forced to withdraw one of President Trump’s judicial picks on Tuesday after Arkansas Republican Sens. John Boozman and Tom Cotton reportedly maneuvered to block his nomination. The shady move came a week after the GOP took a shellacking in the 2026 midterm elections.
The administration disclosed in a press release that District Judge Lee Rudofsky’s nomination to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has been withdrawn from the Senate. The president has instead nominated Arkansas Supreme Court Justice James Hiland for the post.
Rudofsky, who previously served as Arkansas’ solicitor general, also confirmed in a statement that he had been taken out of consideration for the judgeship.
“I will be forever grateful to President Trump for the honor of his nomination. But under our Constitution — which I believe is the most ingenious document in the history of the world — the President’s nomination must be confirmed by the Senate. And the reality is that, without the support of my home-state Senators, confirmation is simply not a practical possibility in today’s Senate,” Rudofsky said. “So I understand completely the President’s decision to withdraw my nomination. Cody Hiland is a solid jurist and a good friend. I look forward to working with him in the federal judiciary.”
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