Justice Alito plans to remain on Supreme Court, resisting pressure to step aside

Justice Samuel Alito has confirmed that he has no intentions of retiring from the Supreme Court anytime soon, putting an end to speculation among some Republican leaders that he might vacate his position to make way for a younger, more conservative justice. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing a source close to Alito.

Speculation about Alito’s retirement began circulating shortly after former President Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, which also saw Republicans poised to regain control of the Senate and maintain control of the House in January. With the GOP majority in place and no filibuster allowed on Supreme Court appointments, Trump would likely face little resistance in confirming his picks for high court justices if both Alito and the court’s oldest conservative justice, Clarence Thomas, were to retire.

However, Alito has made it clear that he has no plans to step down. According to a source close to the justice, Alito has never viewed his position on the court through a political lens. The idea of retiring for political reasons is not in line with who he is as a justice, the source added.

Alito, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2006 by President George W. Bush, is currently 74 years old, making him the second-oldest justice on the bench after Clarence Thomas, who is 76. Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by President Obama in 2009, is 70.

Calls for Alito and Thomas to retire to make room for younger, Trump-appointed justices could be divisive at a time when public approval of the Supreme Court is lukewarm, according to a Gallup survey in September. The court currently has a conservative majority, with six conservative justices and three liberal justices. Trump appointed three justices during his presidency, solidifying the court’s conservative tilt.

If Alito and Thomas were to retire, Trump would have the opportunity to appoint a majority of the justices on the Supreme Court, a feat not achieved by a Republican president since Eisenhower. However, Alito’s decision to remain on the bench for the foreseeable future ensures that the court’s makeup will remain unchanged.

Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.