President Donald Trump—for the first time in his presidency—flipped an appeals court to a Republican majority of appointed judges with the March 12 confirmation of a nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Paul Matey was confirmed by the Senate in a 54–45 vote, which now gives the court a 7–6 majority of Republican appointees, with one more pending vacancy. The switch in the 3rd Circuit—previously dominated by nominees appointed by Democrat presidents—comes amid a Republican effort to reclaim the federal judiciary after President Barack Obama tipped the scales in Democrats’ favor in 2013.
