President Donald Trump nominated Department of Justice official Eric Hamilton for a federal judgeship in Nebraska and federal prosecutor Joseph Falvey for a district court seat in Indiana on October 19, 2026. Senate Republicans plan a post-election confirmation push, scheduling hearings for November 10 and 18, 2026, ahead of the November 3 midterms. The push aims to maximize judicial confirmations before a potential Democratic Senate majority takes over in January 2027.
Eric Hamilton's nomination and background
- ▪President Donald Trump announced on October 19, 2026, the nomination of Eric Hamilton to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska.
- ▪Eric Hamilton serves as deputy assistant attorney general for the Federal Programs Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division and previously served as solicitor general of Nebraska.
- ▪Eric Hamilton defended Donald Trump administration policies in court, including global tariffs, birthright citizenship restrictions, National Guard deployments to cities, and dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
Joseph Falvey's nomination and background
- ▪Joseph Falvey serves as chief of the appellate division in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Indiana and previously clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
- ▪President Donald Trump announced on October 19, 2026, the nomination of Eric Hamilton to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Status of federal judicial nominations
- ▪Eighteen of President Donald Trump's nominees to the federal bench remained pending as of October 19, 2026, in addition to Eric Hamilton and Joseph Falvey.
- ▪The U.S. Senate has confirmed 56 federal judges during Donald Trump's second presidential term through October 2026, including 10 appellate court judges, compared to 234 confirmed during his first term.
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