Donald Trump gave Democrats the shock of their lives last week when he handily defeated their beloved Kamala Harris. Not only did he trounce Harris with the Electoral College, he also came out on top in the popular vote.
In the wake of Trump’s victory, Democrats have gone into full panic mode. They are particularly worried about what it will mean for the Supreme Court, which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority.
As soon as Trump won, rumors swirled that the conservative Justice Samuel Alito would step down during his presidency so that he could appoint someone younger to fill his seat. Alito, 74, was appointed by George W. Bush back in 2006.
Republicans also won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives in this election. Since there is filibuster allowed on Supreme Court appointments, it means that Trump would face little resistance when it comes to his Supreme Court appointments this time around.
Rumors Swirl About Alito
Immediately after Trump won, rumors began to swirl that Alito and Clarence Thomas, the court’s two oldest conservative justices on the Supreme Court, might soon step down. Alito, however, appears to not be having any of it.
From Fox News:
“Despite what some people may think, this is a man who has never thought about this job from a political perspective,” a person close to Alito told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news of his intention to remain on the bench.“The idea that he’s going to retire for political considerations is not consistent with who he is,” this person added.
Alito is the second-oldest conservative justice on the Supreme Court. He’s behind Thomas, 76, who was appointed back in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.
The third oldest on the court is Sonia Sotomayor, 70, a liberal justice who was appointed by Barack Obama in 2009. She’s faced pressure from some on the left to resign before Joe Biden leaves office. Many leftists want him to replace her with someone younger. Unfortunately for them, however, she appears to have no intention of giving in to this.
Should Alito and Thomas end up deciding to step down, Trump would become the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to name the majority of the justices on the Supreme Court. Just imagine the liberal meltdown if that were to happen!
Alito And Thomas Likely Won’t Step Down
While it’s fun to think about this, it’s unlikely that Alito and Thomas will step down just to protect their seats. Indeed, it appears that the notion of protecting seats for a political party simply doesn’t resonate with the Supreme Court justices themselves.
After all, the liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously refused to step down before she died in 2020 at the age of 87. This allowed Trump to replace her with the conservative Amy Coney Barrett, much to the horror of liberals everywhere.
In the end, we wouldn’t be surprised if Alito and Thomas remain on the Supreme Court throughout the entirety of Trump’s term. Both men are younger than Trump, who is currently 78. It seems that they have many more years left on the Supreme Court in them both!
Key Takeaways:
- Alito denies rumors that he’s stepping down from the Supreme Court.
- Alito and Thomas have faced pressure to step down after Trump’s win.
- Some conservatives want them replaced with younger justices.
Source: Fox News
