Hot Mic Catches Trump Lashing Out Over Failed Picks: ‘I Can’t Appoint Anybody!’

President Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic lashing out over his inability to get his picks approved because of Senate rules, exclaiming, “I can’t appoint anybody!”

Interim appointments have become a huge problem for Trump, as handpicked interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s illegal appointment has scuttled Trump’s revenge cases, and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba has been forced to step down after being disqualified.

Trump was asked about Habba’s resignation during a roundtable on Monday, and riffed for a solid three minutes about how the Senate’s “Blue Slip” rule has kept him from getting the picks that he really wants.

After the president wrapped up the event by thanking the press, still-active mics caught him continuing to lash out over the issue — after he revealed that he saves meeting namecards as souvenirs:

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And it’s a very sad situation. We’re losing tremendous, we’re losing a lot of great people. We have about seven U.S. Attorneys who are not going to be able to keep their jobs much longer because of the blue slip.

Because unless I think I know why they did that, to protect their a**. Okay, that’s why they did that.

But it should be done away with. I want to be able to appoint great the most highly educated, the most respected people. They can’t keep their jobs. Because of the blue slips. Terrible. Okay.

Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.

AIDES: Thank you press! Thank you! Thank you press!

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The farmers, let’s come in to the Oval Office. All right, Deb? Come on. We’re going to go into the Oval Office.

AIDES: Thank you, Press.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You’re going to see what a real office is. Keep your little–. Keep these. I keep them!

AIDES: Thank you, Press, let’s go, let’s go. Thank you. Keep going. Thank you, Press. Hey, Tyler. Thank you. Thank you, Press. Thank you, Crass. Let’s go. Thank you. Thank you, Press, keep going, keep going. I know.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Hey Deb. (INAUDIBLE) You know I cannot appoint anyone. Huh? I can’t appoint anybody! Everybody I’ve appointed their time is expired. And then they’re in default. And then we’re losing them–

Watch above via White House pool.