President Donald Trump (R) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed five Article III federal judges through August 1, 2025. This is the fewest Article III judicial appointments through this point in a president’s second term since Bill Clinton (D). The average number of federal judges appointed by previous presidents at this point in their second term is 13.3. President Barack Obama (D) had the most appointees confirmed with 29 at this point in his second term.
No Supreme Court justices were appointed by this time in any president’s second term.
The median number of United States Court of Appeals appointees is 4.5. Obama and President George W. Bush (R) had the most appointees with 8. Trump appointed the fewest with 2.
The median number of United States District Court appointees is 5. Obama had the most appointees with 19. Trump appointed the fewest with 3.
Article III federal judges are appointed for life terms by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate per Article III of the United States Constitution. Article III judges include judges on the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. courts of appeal, U.S. district courts, and the Court of International Trade.
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