President Donald Trump (R) has appointed and the Senate has confirmed no Article III federal judges through June 1, 2025, his first year of his second term in office. This is the fewest Article III judicial appointments through this point in all presidents’ second terms since President Bill Clinton (D).
The average number of federal judges appointed by previous presidents through June 1 of his first year of his second term in office is eight. By June of his first year of his second term in office, President Barack Obama (D) had the most appointees confirmed with 22.
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 one. Obama had the most appointees with six. Trump appointed the fewest with 0.
The median number of United States District Court appointees is four.Obama had the most appointees with 14. Trump appointed the fewest with 0.
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.