President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated two officials to lifetime federal judgeships in Missouri and North Dakota, advancing his judicial appointments as the Republican-led Senate faces a limited confirmation window ahead of the November midterm elections.
Jesus Osete, currently the top deputy to Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon at the U.S. Department of Justice, was nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. Osete previously led a DOJ lawsuit that sought to block California’s newly drawn electoral map, which the department argued unfairly advantaged Democrats. Trump described Osete as a "strong Defender of the Constitution" in a post on Truth Social.
Harmeet Dhillon, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division chief, praised Osete’s nomination in a statement on X, calling him "a brilliant, accomplished, and principled lawyer who stepped away from a successful private career to serve his country, and who should be swiftly confirmed."
Philip Axt, North Dakota’s solicitor general, was nominated to a federal judgeship in his home state. Trump highlighted Axt’s record in litigation, stating he had "litigated numerous important cases for the State, including challenges to harmful Biden Administration policies."
The nominations follow Trump’s earlier announcement of nine additional district court nominees in Republican-led states this week. Osete’s DOJ background includes a shift in priorities under his leadership, moving away from civil rights enforcement and police oversight toward expanding gun rights and opposing diversity initiatives. The Senate now has limited time to confirm the nominees before the midterms, when control of the chamber could change.
