President Donald Trump has now reportedly made clear he has no interest in nudging Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito toward retirement, brushing aside speculation that he might encourage the Court’s two oldest conservatives to step down during his second term. In a new interview released Tuesday, Trump told Politico’s Dasha Burns that he hopes both men remain on the bench.
“I hope they stay, ’cause I think they’re fantastic, OK?” Trump said when pressed on whether he wanted either justice to retire. He repeated his praise without hesitation: “Both of those men are fantastic.”
Thomas, 77, and Alito, 75, have not indicated any intention to step aside, but their age has fueled ongoing public speculation—particularly from observers who believe Trump could seize the opportunity to secure a younger conservative successor. Such retirements would have historic consequences.
If both men were to step down during Trump’s second term, he would become the first president since Dwight Eisenhower to appoint a majority of the sitting Supreme Court justices, a shift that would deepen conservative influence on the Court for decades.
Trump’s relationship with Thomas and Alito has been consistently warm. He has repeatedly praised them over the years, even as he has privately expressed frustration with some of his own appointees, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett, for rulings that did not go his way.
His support for the Court’s longest-serving conservatives stands in contrast to his occasional criticisms of his more recent picks, underscoring his belief that Thomas and Alito have been unwavering in their judicial philosophy.
While Democrats have floated various proposals to reshape the Court—many on the left have openly discussed expanding the number of justices—Trump argued such ideas would be devastating for the country. “I will say this, the Democrats want to pack the court,” Trump said in the interview, before warning: “They want to have 21 justices. That would be a … terrible thing for this country.”
The president’s comment reflects long-standing Republican concerns that Democrats, frustrated with the Supreme Court’s ideological makeup, could seek to dilute the conservative majority by adding seats. Trump framed the issue not simply as a partisan fight but as a serious threat to the stability and legitimacy of the nation’s highest judicial institution.
In declining to push for retirements, Trump signaled confidence in the Court’s conservative bloc as it stands today. His remarks also underscore his broader political posture: protecting the existing conservative justices, resisting Democratic efforts to alter the judiciary, and positioning himself as the defender of a Court he believes the left would radically transform if given the chance.
For now, Thomas and Alito show no sign of stepping down. But Trump’s message was unmistakably clear—he isn’t looking to usher them out. Instead, he wants them to stay exactly where they are.
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