Alito Says He Will Stay on Supreme Court for 1 More Term
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 7
Alito Says He Will Stay on Supreme Court for 1 More Term
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 7
Summary
Samuel Alito said he will remain on the Supreme Court through the upcoming term, ending for now speculation that the 76-year-old justice might retire before the session begins in October.
The decision denies President Donald Trump an immediate chance to name a younger conservative successor while Republicans control the Senate, a scenario court watchers had discussed for months.
Alito, appointed by George W. Bush in 2006, told The Wall Street Journal that retirement calls are "a reminder of mortality" and rejected the idea that justices are interchangeable ideological placeholders.
He also defended his record after major rulings favoring Trump administration immigration policies and broader executive power, saying he decides cases independently regardless of whether his votes align with Trump.