As if the news cycle couldn’t get any more crazy, new rumors have been swirling that U.S. Supreme Court conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito could be considering retirement in the near future.
This raises the stakes even higher for the upcoming election—and Democrats in particular have a lot to worry about if Republicans gain control of both the White House and Senate.
The retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy in 2018 has already shifted the 6-3 balance in favor of Republican appointees.
Chief Justice John Roberts has become the most likely swing vote after this occurrence.
The oldest Democratic appointee is Justice Sonia Sotomayor at 69 years old while President Joe Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson at 52 years old and Obama’s other appointee Justice Elena Kagan is 63 years old.
Amy Coney Barrett (51), Brett Kavanaugh (58) and Neil Gorsuch (55) were chosen by President Trump as his three remaining justices on the court today.
If Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito decide to retire before 2024, a Republican president would be able to replace them with younger conservatives that could serve for another 30 years or more according to Carrie Campbell Severino from JCN.
However, Senator Josh Hawley cautions that it’s tough to predict how any justice’s opinions might evolve over time on such an important court like this one since Republicans have failed in getting a stable conservative majority until recently.
One thing remains certain though: whatever happens between now and 2024 will have huge implications both now and far into our future generations too.
This news means that Democrats are concerned about what may happen if Biden loses and Republicans gain control over both the White House and Senate.
