The U.S. Senate voted 53–46 on Tuesday to advance the confirmation of Anne-Leigh Moe as a U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida, marking another judicial appointment supported by President Donald Trump.
Trump announced the nomination in a post on Truth Social, writing: “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.” He praised her record in Florida’s courts, saying she “has fiercely advocated for Sunshine State residents.” Trump also added that Moe “will prioritize LAW AND ORDER unlike other activist Judges who put the safety of Illegal Criminals over the safety of AMERICANS.”
Moe has served on Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal since 2022. Before that, she spent nearly ten years as a circuit judge in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which includes Hillsborough County. Earlier in her career, she worked as an assistant state attorney in Tampa.
Her confirmation represents another step in the administration’s effort to fill vacancies across federal courts.
At the same time, the federal government remains in a shutdown, but analysts say it has not significantly affected Trump’s political support. According to CNN data analyst Harry Enten, the current situation differs from the 2018–2019 shutdown during Trump’s first presidency.
“This shutdown hasn’t eaten into Donald Trump support at all. His net approval rating is actually up a point in terms of his popular support,” Enten said. He added that in the earlier shutdown, Trump’s approval had already declined by several points at a similar stage.
Enten explained that fewer Americans currently blame Trump for the shutdown. In 2018–2019, 61% of respondents held him responsible, compared with 48% now. As Enten noted, “there’s no real reason Donald Trump might say… ‘I want to get out of this shutdown.’”
Meanwhile, Democrats have vowed to block spending bills that do not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, while Republicans have not yet reached a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government.
