Could New Clues Signal Justice Alito's Pre-Midterm Departure?

One of the greatest, longest-lasting legacies any president can leave behind are his picks for the Supreme Court. In his first term, President Trump was able to name and get approved three, and in doing so, changed the makeup of the Supreme Court. Joe Biden, or whoever was actually running the show while old Joe was drooling onto his shirt, got one pick for the Supreme Court, whose primary function seems to be comic relief.

Now there are indications that President Trump may get another Supreme Court pick. While Justice Samuel Alito has not said anything indicative, there are some who say some of his recent acts would lead one to believe he's considering retirement.

Justice Samuel Alito, 75, who has served on the Supreme Court since January 2006 after being nominated by President George W Bush, is speculated to be considering retirement.
He recently celebrated 20 years on the court at the end of January - a milestone achieved by just a fraction of justices.
The typical term has averaged around 16 years, though since the 1970s, with improvements in medicine, the typical tenure can extend much longer. According to historic averages, justices tend to retire in their late seventies to early eighties.
That's 'usually a very good milestone on which to retire,' Mellisa Murray, a legal scholar and law professor at NYU, recently said on the Strict Scrutiny podcast.

The timing would be fortuitous. Much as we hope otherwise, there is always the chance that the Democrats will seize control of the Senate, and that would end any hopes of President Trump getting any Supreme Court picks approved, and if the administration objects to Democrat stonewalling, they will no doubt point to Merrick Garland's aborted nomination by Barack Obama.

If Alito retired this year, though...

Also to be considered: the impending midterm elections.
Republicans are expected to take a beating in the November elections.
President Donald Trump has signaled his worries repeatedly, perhaps at nauseam, noting multiple times this year how the midterms are typically won by the party that does not hold the presidency - a historically correct nod to how voters almost always reward the party out of power with additional seats in Congress.

That would make holding the Court's conservative majority much easier.

Justice Alito Lets Loose, Calls SCOTUS Decision on Nat'l Guard in Chicago 'Unwise' and 'Imprudent'

What makes this plausible is the fact that Samuel Alito has been one of the Supreme Court's longest-serving justices. He has seen his 20th anniversary of appointment. His name has appeared on many significant decisions. He's been a pretty reliable conservative vote, so his legacy is confirmed. And, not least, he's 75, an age at which most people are more concerned with grandparenting than with making monumental decisions about the future course of the republic.

If this does happen, he also has the chance to express some opinions about possible replacements.

Here's the catch: If Justice Alito is considering retirement, he hasn't made any public statement about it. At least, not yet.

While we're on the subject, we might note as well that conservative stalwart Justice Clarence Thomas is older, at 77, and has been on the Supreme Court since 1991 - coming up on 35 years on that bench. There are fewer indications of Justice Thomas considering retirement.

Any president's greatest, most lasting legacy is his Supreme Court picks. It will be interesting to see whether President Trump does get the chance to make any more.

Editor's Note: Unelected federal judges are hijacking President Trump's agenda and insulting the will of the people.

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