President Donald Trump announced six federal judicial nominees May 11, including two conservative district judges he appointed during his first term for seats on federal appeals courts.
Trump made the announcements in a series of Truth Social posts, framing many of his picks as conservative jurists who would defend the Constitution and push back against left-wing “government overreach.”
Appeals court nominees
Trump said in his first post that he will nominate U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor of North Dakota to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit and Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico of Colorado to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. If confirmed, they would fill the only two remaining vacancies on the federal appeals court currently available to Trump, Reuters reported.
The picks would reinforce a Republican-appointed majority on the 8th Circuit and add a conservative judge to what is currently a 7-5 Democratic-appointed majority on the 10th Circuit.
Traynor has served on the federal trial court in North Dakota since 2020 after Trump appointed him in his first term. In recent rulings, he struck down a Biden-era environmental review rule and blocked the previous administration from requiring 19 Republican-led states to provide health coverage to illegal immigrants, according to Reuters.
“During his time as a Federal District Court Judge, Daniel has issued courageous decisions, and blocked illegal Federal Government actions under the previous Administration,” Trump said of Traynor. “The Citizens of the Eighth Circuit will have a true Constitutional Champion with Daniel on the Bench.”
Domenico, who has served on the federal trial court in Colorado since 2019, previously worked as Colorado’s solicitor general and clerked for Judge Timothy Tymkovish — whose seat he would fill if confirmed. In 2023 rulings, Domenico blocked Colorado from excluding a Christian school from its taxpayer-funded universal preschool program and blocked the state from enforcing a law banning an abortion pill reversal treatment offered by a Catholic medical center.
Trump praised Domenico’s record as solicitor general, saying he protected Colorado’s taxpayer bill of rights and challenged “Radical Government Overreach.” On the district bench, Trump said Domenico “has displayed an exemplary record of protecting Citizens’ Constitutional Rights” and “will deliver strong results, defend the Constitution, and uphold the Rule of Law.”
District court nominees
Trump also announced four district court nominees: Kasdin Mitchell for the Northern District of Texas, Angela Colmenero for the Southern District of Texas, Antonio Pozos for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Michael Martin for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Mitchell, currently a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Dallas, Texas, previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and 11th Circuit Judge William Pryor Jr., according to Trump. Trump said Mitchell has “a strong record of fiercely defending the Second Amendment and Religious Liberty, which are always under siege by the Radical Left. I have no doubt that Kasdin will be a Powerful Defender of the Rule of Law in the GREAT State of Texas.”
Colmenero, who currently serves as deputy chief of staff to Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, previously worked at the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Trump said Colmenero will “do a tremendous job, and always protect our Great Constitution.”
Pozos is currently a partner at a law firm in Philadelphia. Trump said Pozos brings “great experience to his new role,” especially after serving as a federal prosecutor who handled “major fraud and corruption cases.”
Martin served as a federal prosecutor for more than two decades, primarily working as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Martin clerked for the late Judges Hugh Bownes and Edward F. Harrington. Trump said in his post that Michiganders are “truly fortunate that a great public servant like Mike is joining the Federal Bench.”
All six nominees require Senate confirmation and are expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June.