The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee Joshua Dunlap to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 52–46 party-line vote, marking the first time a Republican appointee will serve on that Boston-based court in years. The decision shifts the balance on a court historically led by Democratic judges, which had often been a venue for challenges to Trump’s earlier policies.

Dunlap, a Maine attorney and conservative legal advocate, was nominated after Judge William Kayatta, appointed by President Obama, took senior status in 2024. A graduate of Pensacola Christian College and Notre Dame Law School, Dunlap has handled cases involving election laws, paid leave programs, and campaign finance issues. Trump nominated him in July, emphasizing his commitment to constitutional principles.

In the same week, the Senate confirmed Eric Tung to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by a 52–45 vote. Tung, a former federal prosecutor and clerk for Justices Neil Gorsuch and Antonin Scalia, is Trump’s first appointee to that San Francisco-based court in his second term. His appointment further narrows the Democratic majority on what was once considered the nation’s most liberal appellate court.