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On election night, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith told her supporters: "I blocked Scott Colom from being a federal judge, and you blocked him from being a U.S. senator." Eight days later the Associated Press called the Mississippi Senate race for Colom. We checked both halves of that sentence against the Senate's own nomination record and the count, then checked the winner's victory speech too: his prediction, Hiram Revels and Medgar Evers.

Our scores are our editorial assessment.

Should one senator be able to block a judge with no hearing and no vote? Tell us below.

Watch next: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnqt1nTQzMw

Chapters

0:00 "I blocked Scott Colom"

0:19 Round 1: "I blocked Scott Colom"

0:35 Round 2: "A very good lead"

3:08 Round 3: Colom, checked

6:08 The concession

6:47 Why it matters: the blue slip

7:22 What happens next

7:36 Grill Score

Sources:

- Congress.gov, PN2733 (117th Congress) and PN182 (118th Congress): https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/2733 and https://www.congress.gov/nomination/118th-congress/182

- Associated Press, Mississippi U.S. Senate results and race call, Nov. 11, 2026: https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/mississippi-us-senate-results/

- Congressional Research Service, R44975, The Blue Slip Process (updated Nov. 20, 2025): https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R44975.html

- U.S. House History, "The Fifteenth Amendment in Flesh and Blood": https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-Essays/Fifteenth-Amendment/Introduction/

- NAACP, Medgar Evers: https://www.naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/civil-rights-leaders/medgar-evers

- Miss. Code 23-15-605; U.S. Constitution, 20th Amendment

- Sen. Hyde-Smith election-night remarks (WLBT 3 On Your Side): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHcIzavGDh8

- Scott Colom victory speech (MS NOW): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax7vHW0VDVs

- CNN, Nov. 6, 2026 (via Forbes Breaking News): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtcvzPAY5bY

- Sen. Hyde-Smith concession video on X, Nov. 11, 2026: https://x.com/cindyhydesmith/status/2120658269945344349

Footage: WLBT 3 On Your Side, CNN, MS NOW, Sen. Hyde-Smith on X. Excerpts for commentary.

How we score: grilledonthehill.com/how-we-score/

Grilled on the Hill breaks down the most heated moments from hearings, debates and courtrooms. We show the tape.

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