President Donald Trump grew angry while addressing the resignation of Alina Habba, the former acting U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, who multiple courts disqualified.
"Alina Habba says she's stepping down as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey after the courts disqualified her," a reporter told Trump on Monday. "Do you have any comment on that?"
"Well, she's not disqualified," the president snapped. "You've got a [Senate] blue slip thing that's horrible. It's a horrible thing. It makes it impossible to appoint a judge or a U.S. attorney. And it's a shame. And the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves that they allow this to go on."
"Because I can't appoint a U.S. attorney that's not a Democrat because they put a block on it," he continued. "So if you appoint in Virginia or in New Jersey or in California, a U.S. attorney or a judge — I mean, the judge situation is ridiculous. The only people that you can get by are Democrats, because they will put a hold on it."
Trump insisted that the U.S. Senate would not approve "George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be U.S. attorney in New Jersey."
"We have Democrat senators; they will not approve them," he complained. "And this is a gentleman's agreement that's lasted for too long, and it doesn't make it, especially in light of what's going on today. It means you can't appoint a Republican U.S. attorney!"
"I put up great people, top people, highest education, the best lawyers to be like U.S. attorney, and both senators, it only takes one," Trump added. "But if they're Democrat senators, they say we're not going to approve it. I had a couple of them say, 'What are you appoint Democrats?' All because Senator Grassley, with his blue slip stuff, will not let anybody go by!"
"I think I know why they did that: to protect their a--. Okay, that's why they did that."