As President Trump is putting his stamp on the federal judiciary, so is Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt.
Indeed, the latest judicial nominee from Missouri is no less than the 10th Schmitt protégé from his time as state attorney general to be tapped by Trump for service in the federal justice system — just since Schmitt’s 2022 election to the U.S. Senate.
Justin Smith, just nominated by President Trump to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, is Trump’s first Missouri nominee to that court, and his first nominee to that court in his second term.
“Justin Smith is one of the finest lawyers in the country,” Schmitt said in a written statement this week. “Justin served as my top advisor in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and played a senior role on my team after I was elected to the Senate. I’m proud to see President Trump nominate him to serve our country on the prestigious Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“In President Trump’s first term, he transformed our federal judiciary, including the Eighth Circuit, by appointing constitutionalists committed to upholding the rule of law. I’m confident Justin’s strong background defending our Constitution and fighting for Missouri will help continue this legacy. Justin Smith is an excellent pick – I look forward to his speedy confirmation.”
When confirmed, Schmitt’s office says, Smith’s appointment would mean “a majority (nine) of Missouri’s 16 federal judges will have been appointed by President Trump, six of whom will have been appointed in the President’s second term—the most in the country.”
Here are the 10 Schmitt “alums” to join the federal judiciary:
- John Sauer, Solicitor General, Department of Justice
- Tom Albus, U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Missouri
- Cristian Stevens, District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri
- Maria Lanahan, District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri
- Zach Bluestone, District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri
- Josh Divine, District Judge, Eastern and Western District of Missouri
- Jesus Osete, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney, Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
- Michael Talent, Assistant Solicitor General, Department of Justice
- Rachel Jag, Associate Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice
- Justin Smith, Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
