October 13 2025, 08:15 
Renowned political scientist Norman Ornstein expressed his complete shock at a recent underhanded move by GOP Senators that led to the simultaneous confirmation of 107 judges nominated by the president.
In September, Senate Republicans employed a tactic that many call the “nuclear option,” which allows a simple majority to implement a rule change and eliminates the possibility of a filibuster. With this, they voted 53-45 to create a rule allowing the Senate to confirm Executive Branch nominees en masse, rather than only individually.
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In the immediate aftermath, the Senate confirmed 48 nominees for sub-cabinet and ambassador positions. And this past Tuesday, the chamber employed the tactic again to confirm more than 100 judges.
Despite all he has seen from Congress lately, Ornstein was flabbergasted by the move.
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“I have been in & around the US Senate for well over five decades,” he wrote on social media. “Worked there, written about it, worked with dozens and dozens of senators of both parties. Even with fierce partisans protecting their presidents, there was always some sense of loyalty to their own institution.”
“I am actually stunned at Senate Republicans now. It is entirely unprecedented, and a reflection of the fact that the Republican Party is no longer a party but a full-blown cult.”
I am actually stunned at Senate Republicans now. It is entirely unprecedented, and a reflection of the fact that the Republican Party is no longer a party but a full-blown cult. Pam Bondi and Kash Patel in their oversight hearings gave a middle finger to the Senate. 2
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 8, 2025
He lamented that not a single Republican senator “stood up for their own institution” and slammed the fact that there was “no vetting” and “no examination of whether the people they are confirming are fit for the jobs.”
“It is beyond pathetic,” he continued. “Simple lackeys to their Dear Leader. None adhering to the oaths they took. True believers in vicious autocracy? Moral cowards. It doesn’t really matter. Appalling.”
No vetting, no examination of whether the people they are confirming are fit for the jobs. . It is beyond pathetic. Simple lackeys to their Dear Leader. None adhering to the oaths they took. True believers in vicious autocracy? Moral cowards. It doesn’t really matter. Appalling.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) October 8, 2025
While the GOP can get away with a lot since they control the entire federal government, another political expert believes the tide may finally be turning.
“The slumbering giant of America is awakening,” wrote Robert Reich, who served as President Bill Clinton’s secretary of labor and is now a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, in a recent op-ed.
He said he doesn’t know exactly when the “tipping point” will take place or what it will be, but he also assured Americans that “we’re getting closer.”
“I’ve been in and around politics for 60 years and have developed a sixth sense about the slumbering giant of America,” he said. “That giant is now stirring. He is about to stand. He’s angry. Soon he will roar.”
He told Americans to continue fighting, assuring them, “Your activism is working.”
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