Trump picks African American woman to be next South Carolina federal judge
A week after he shared a video on social media post depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as “apes” in a jungle, President Donald Trump has nominated a South Carolina Black woman to be a U.S. District judge.
Trump nominated Sheria Clarke, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and currently a partner with the top tier Nelson Mullins law firm, for the prestigious judge’s post, according to a social media post by the president.
Of some 40 attorneys nominated during Trump’s second administration, Clarke is the first African American, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond Law School professor who tracks the federal judiciary and the Department of Justice.
“This woman looks quite good. She has a lot of relevant experience,” said Tobias. Most of Trump’s nominees for federal judge posts so far are “young white guys,” he said.
Clarke’s experience includes being a former assistant U.S. Attorney from 2021-2024, which will help since many cases that come before federal judges involve prosecutions by federal prosecutors. As a federal prosecutor, she handled False Claims Act litigation, whistleblower investigations, as well as a variety of criminal matters, according to her bio on Nelson Mullins’ internet page.
Clarke also worked from 2009 to 2019 on various committees in the U.S. House of Representatives as a director and investigative lawyer. The committees included Ethics, Oversight and the Select Committee on the Events in Benghazi, Libya, which held high-profile hearings on the 2012 deadly terrorist attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya that killed Americans. The Benghazi committee was chaired by former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-Greenville.
“She is just the most ethical, even-keeled, smart person and is the one you want in the role of a federal judge,” said Cindy Crick, the current 13th Judicial Circuit Solicitor and former longtime chief of staff for Gowdy. “She’s incredibly intelligent. People go to her for advice. Her ethics are unimpeachable. You just could not pick a better person.”
South Carolina’s two U.S. senators, Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, made congratulatory public statements. It is difficult for a federal judge to be appointed without the approval of both home state senators.
Scott, who last week criticized Trump for his “ape” post of the Obamas, posted on social media about Clarke, “Thrilled to see Sheria Clarke nominated to the U.S. District Court for South Carolina! Her career reflects integrity, excellence, and a deep commitment to the Constitution. South Carolina will be well served. Congratulations, Sheria.”
Graham said in a press release,“In choosing Sheria Clarke to be a federal district court judge, President Trump has done an outstanding job for the people of South Carolina. She is one of the most highly qualified candidates I’ve ever seen to be a federal district court judge. Sheria is academically gifted and has the depth of knowledge and real-world experience to be exceptional in this role. She has the right demeanor to be a fair judge.
“I look forward to giving her my complete and total support,” Graham said.
Clarke graduated in 2003 from Virginia’s Liberty University, which bills itself as “a Christian university training champions for Christ,” with a major in psychology. In 2006, she graduated from University of North Carolina School of Law.
Clarke is also an adjunct professor of government at Wofford College in Spartanburg.
Clarke will take of the place of U.S. Judge Bryan Harwell, who s now on senior status. She is expected to be based in Florence.
To become a federal judge, Clarke must first be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, then by U.S. Senate.
District federal judges earn more than $240,00 a year.
This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 5:30 AM.