President Donald Trump (R) has appointed, and the Senate has confirmed, eight Article III federal judges through Oct. 1, the first year of his second term in office. This is the fewest Article III judicial appointments through this point in any president’s second term since President Bill Clinton (D). The average number of federal judges appointed by previous presidents through Oct. 1 of the first year of their second term is 17.
By Oct. 1 of his first year of his second term, President Barack Obama (D) had the most appointees confirmed, with 32.
No Supreme Court justices were appointed by this time in any president’s second term.
The median number of U.S. Court of Appeals appointees is six. Obama had the most, with nine, and Trump appointed the fewest, with two.
The median number of U.S. District Court appointees is 10. Obama had the most, with 21, and President George W. Bush (R) appointed the fewest, with four.
Article III federal judges are appointed for life terms by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate under Article III of the United States Constitution. They include judges on the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. courts of appeal, U.S. district courts, and the U.S. Court of International Trade.
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