Senate Finally Passes It w
Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe’s confirmation to the U.S. District Court for
the Middle District of Florida is more than a routine judicial appointment;
it is a strategic brick in Trump’s long-term remaking of the federal courts.
Confirmed 53–46 with a handful of Democratic defections,
Moe brings years of trial and appellate experience, a tough-on-crime reputation, and
a firmly conservative judicial philosophy that thrills law-and-order Republicans.
Trump’s allies showcase her rise as proof that, even amid a grinding shutdown,
the administration can still notch ideological victories that will outlast any budget fight.
Democrats warn that her ties to conservative advocacy groups and her strict, text-focused approach to the law are part of a broader, deliberate shift of the judiciary to the right.
But with more than 100 judges already installed in Trump’s second term, Moe’s lifetime seat underscores a blunt reality:
while the shutdown will eventually end, Trump’s imprint on the courts is only deepening.
