Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has confirmed he’s weighing retirement, opening the door to a possible exit after next year’s term that would hand President Trump a fourth opportunity to reshape the bench.
In excerpts from a CBS News interview set to air Monday, the 76-year-old justice said he considered stepping down this year and plans to revisit the decision again in 2027, Politico flagged on Friday.
“It’s something that I think that somebody at my age has to think about every term,” Alito said. “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.”
The interview marks the first in a string of public appearances tied to the release of a new book on Alito’s judicial philosophy. His remarks carry real political weight: Trump’s previous three Supreme Court appointments already pushed the court firmly rightward, and a potential fourth pick would come just as control of the Senate, which confirms justices, hangs in the balance heading into November’s midterms.
Rumors swirled of Alito planning a retirement earlier this year, due to the timing of his book tour and the start of the next Supreme Court term. However, he made clear he will be staying on for at least one more year.
The possibility of a retirement could dramatically raise the stakes of the midterm elections in the fall, as Senate control could decide whether Trump is allowed to get a nominee to replace him; Democratic senators, if given a majority, would likely follow the precedent set by former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who held open the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat until former President Barack Obama was out of office.
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