Written by Jacob Reynolds.
Senator Brian Schatz from Hawaii has thrown up a roadblock against President Trump’s State Department nominees. On Monday, he announced a “blanket hold,” making it harder for Trump to quickly fill key roles. Schatz, a Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said he’s doing this to push back against Trump and Elon Musk shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
According to Schatz, Trump and Musk don’t have the legal authority to get rid of USAID on their own. “Dismantling USAID is illegal and makes us less safe,” he said. He argued that the agency was created by Congress and can’t just be erased with a signature. Until USAID is up and running again, Schatz says he’ll block all of Trump’s nominees for the State Department.
What This Means for Trump’s Agenda
A hold like this is basically a political roadblock. Instead of a quick vote, Republicans now have to jump through procedural hoops to get nominees confirmed. This slows everything down, taking up time that could be used on other priorities.
Even with the delay, Trump’s picks are likely to get confirmed. Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, so Democrats can’t outright stop them, but they can make the process drag on. This is a tactic both parties have used in the past to make life harder for the opposition.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already acting as the head of USAID. He was confirmed without opposition, but plenty of high-ranking positions under him still need Senate approval. That includes ambassador spots and other key diplomatic roles.
Democrats Call It a ‘Constitutional Crisis’
Outside of USAID’s headquarters in Washington, Democratic lawmakers gathered to protest. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut called the agency’s shutdown illegal and accused Trump and Musk of ignoring Congress. “This is a constitutional crisis,” he said. He also suggested Musk’s business ties to China played a role in the decision, saying, “China is cheering at this action today.”
Of course, Republicans have used similar tactics. During Biden’s presidency, Senator Tommy Tuberville blocked hundreds of military promotions for months over a Pentagon abortion policy. In 2021, Senator Josh Hawley held up nominations for the State and Defense Departments to protest Biden’s handling of Afghanistan. And after Trump’s legal troubles in 2024, some Republican senators stalled Biden’s judicial nominees.
The State Department’s Empty Seats
Trump hasn’t even nominated people for many ambassador and assistant secretary roles that require Senate confirmation. But some picks are already in the pipeline, including Elise Stefanik for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Christopher Landau for deputy secretary of state. Others, like Michael Rigas and Adam Boehler, are also waiting for approval.
For now, career foreign service officers and civil servants are filling in as acting leaders, but they don’t have the same authority as someone officially appointed by the president. According to the American Foreign Service Union, nearly 100 ambassadorships are still waiting for nominations, including key spots at the U.N.
Our Take
Democrats are calling Trump’s move illegal, but let’s be real—both sides have played this game before. The difference is that now, they’re acting like it’s the end of democracy because Trump is the one making the moves. Blocking nominations is just political theater. The people who actually lose in all of this are the American citizens who want their government to function.
At the end of the day, these positions will get filled. But dragging out the process only weakens the State Department in the short term. If Democrats really believe in diplomacy, they’d want key roles confirmed quickly, even if they don’t like who’s filling them. Instead, they’re stalling just to make a point.
