Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told CBS News on Friday that he recently considered retirement and decided to remain on the court, for the time being, because he believed he could still contribute. The 76-year-old justice also said he expects to revisit the question each year, however, meaning that he will be considering retirement once again within the year.
Alito made the remarks while speaking with CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford in an interview that is set to be released in full on Monday. “I thought about it. It’s something I think that somebody at my age has to think about every term. But I thought that I could still make a valuable contribution, which is why I became a justice and a judge in the first place.”
When asked he would reconsider retirement each year, Alito replied, “Yeah, I think I have to.”
Crawford also asked whether remaining on the court could affect his legacy, referring to the experience of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in 2020 and was succeeded by Justice Amy Coney Barrett. “It’s too hard to predict what the political situation will be and what any president might do with respect to a replacement,” the longtime conservative justice responded.
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Alito was nominated by President George W. Bush and joined the court in 2006. He is the second-oldest justice, after Justice Clarence Thomas.
The timing of any future retirement would intersect with Senate confirmation rules, as Supreme Court nominees require Senate confirmation. Republicans currently hold a Senate majority and can confirm a nominee without any support from Democrats, though the upcoming midterm elections could make the situation difficult if Democrats regain control of the chamber, or if the GOP retains control but with a thin majority.
Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have refused to give their outright support to President Donald Trump’s past Supreme Court nominees, while Murkowski voted “present” during the confirmation vote on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Alito did not connect his decision to the midterms or to any particular confirmation scenario. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said in April that justices make their own decisions, while noting that confirmation while one party controls both the Senate and the White House would be preferable from a timing standpoint.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
