Dem
47
GOP
53
At least for August. Just before the Senate closed up shop for the traditional August recess, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) made a deal with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to approve some nominees, but not all of them. Among others, former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was confirmed as U.S. attorney for D.C., despite numerous former U.S. attorneys and judges saying she is totally unfit for the position. Pirro, a former county D.A., understands that her mission is to prosecute and persecute Trump's enemies. Many other nominees will have to wait until September.
The minority doesn't have the power to block nominees, but it does have the power to slow down the process. This has angered Donald Trump repeatedly. He wants his nominees confirmed immediately. Thune has contemplated "going nuclear"—that is, stripping away the minority's last little bit of power other than the filibuster to placate Trump. On the other hand, he has been around long enough to know that some day the shoe may be on the other foot, and a Democratic Senate may ram through the appointments of a Democratic president, 51-50 if need be. Trump doesn't care about what happens after Jan. 20, 2029. Thune (64) definitely does. (V)