Senate Confirms Trump Nominee Anne-Leigh Moe As U.S. District Judge
The U.S. Senate has moved President Donald J. Trump one step closer to securing yet another critical judicial appointment, advancing the confirmation of Anne-Leigh Moe to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida. The 53–46 vote reflects the administration’s sustained effort to reshape the federal judiciary despite persistent obstruction from Democrats.
President Trump celebrated the advancement on Truth Social, where he reaffirmed his confidence in Moe’s commitment to enforcing the rule of law.
“I am pleased to announce the nomination of Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to serve as Judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida,” Trump wrote.
He continued, “Anne-Leigh has fiercely advocated for Sunshine State residents as a Judge on Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals, and as Trial Judge on Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court. Anne-Leigh will prioritize LAW AND ORDER unlike other activist Judges who put the safety of Illegal Criminals over the safety of AMERICANS. Congratulations Anne-Leigh!”
Moe brings extensive experience to the federal bench. She has served on Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal since 2022 and spent nearly ten years as a circuit judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which includes the Tampa area. Before taking the bench, she worked as an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County, giving her years of frontline experience in criminal prosecution and public safety.
Her elevation marks yet another milestone for President Trump’s second-term judicial overhaul, which has aggressively filled vacancies across the federal courts with constitutionalist judges committed to law, order, and textualist jurisprudence.
This advancement follows a sweeping confirmation surge earlier this month, when Senate Republicans approved over 100 of President Trump’s nominees in a single, historic move — effectively clearing the backlog that Democrats had used to stall executive appointments.
That breakthrough came after Senate GOP leaders implemented a rules change allowing most executive nominees to be confirmed en masse. While the rule does not apply to Cabinet officials or judicial nominees, it represents the largest unified approval wave since the change took effect. Among those confirmed were former Senate candidate Herschel Walker, now ambassador to the Bahamas, and Sergio Gor, who will serve as ambassador to India.
Republicans executed the change through the so-called “nuclear option,” bypassing Democratic opposition that had slowed Trump’s personnel agenda to a crawl. Some GOP lawmakers even floated granting the president recess-appointment authority, though Senate leadership ultimately declined, wary that such a precedent could later be turned against them.
The mass confirmations mark a decisive win for Trump, who continues to restructure the federal government amid relentless partisan resistance.
Back in September, Senate Republicans considered additional changes to the confirmation process to counter minority Democrats’ stall tactics on judicial appointments. President Trump had publicly criticized Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for maintaining the “blue slip” tradition — a custom that lets home-state senators block nominees and often serves as a tool for partisan obstruction.
Multiple proposals were debated, including reducing debate time or grouping nominees into larger voting blocs. According to The Hill, the leading proposal resembled an earlier Democratic plan allowing a single vote to confirm up to ten nominees at once.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who led the GOP working group, said the internal negotiations forced Republicans to streamline their approach.
“Everybody had been talking through various options,” Britt explained. “One of the things that that process did was empower the committee process.”
Britt added that she worked with Democrats to explore potential rule adjustments, with lawmakers continuing discussions through the August recess to break the logjam on remaining nominations.
With Moe’s confirmation now advancing and Trump’s slate of constitutionalist nominees rapidly filling the courts, the administration continues to reshape the federal judiciary toward a stricter interpretation of the Constitution and a stronger commitment to law and order.