Trump dismisses calls for Justices Alito and Thomas to retire, calls them 'fantastic'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump dismissed suggestions on Tuesday, December 9, that Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas should step down to allow him to appoint younger conservatives before the 2026 midterm elections.

Speaking to Politico, the president rejected the strategic push from some within his own party who fear losing the Senate majority next year.

"I hope they stay," Trump said of the two jurists. "'Cause I think they’re fantastic."

GOP eyes strategic vacancies

Alito, 75, and Thomas, 77, are the court's two oldest conservative members.

Some Republicans have quietly advocated for their retirement while the party holds a guaranteed "trifecta"- control of the White House, House, and Senate.

If the GOP loses the Senate in 2026, confirming new hardline conservative justices could become significantly more difficult.

However, sources close to the justices suggest they are unlikely to bow to political pressure.

A source close to Alito told The Wall Street Journal in November 2024 that the justice "has never thought about this job from a political perspective."

"The idea that he’s going to retire for political considerations is not consistent with who he is," the source added.

Justice Clarence Thomas faced scrutiny over wife’s January 6 texts

Both justices have been pillars of the court's conservative wing for decades.

Alito was appointed by former President George W Bush in 2006, while Thomas was appointed by President George HW Bush in 1991.

Thomas faced intense scrutiny in 2022 when House Democrats demanded he step down or be impeached regarding his wife, Ginni Thomas.

Investigators on the January 6 select committee revealed that Ginni Thomas had reportedly sent text messages to then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows urging him to challenge Trump's 2020 election loss. Thomas refused to recuse himself from related cases.

The conversation around age also touches the liberal wing of the court, where Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by Barack Obama, is now 71.