[Craig]
AS DONALD TRUMP PREPARES FOR HIS SECOND PRESIDENTIAL TERM, COURT WATCHERS OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT ARE WONDERING IF THERE MIGHT BE POTENTIAL RETIREMENTS ON THE HORIZON FOR OLDER JUSTICES.
TRUMP’S ELECTION AND THE GOP’S TAKEOVER OF THE U-S SENATE MEANS REPUBLICANS PRETTY MUCH HAVE A GUARANTEE, THAT IF A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RETIRES IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, THAT JUSTICE WOULD BE REPLACED BY A CONSERVATIVE JU
RIST . THE TWO OLDER MEMBERS ARE 76-YEAR-OLD CLARENCE THOMAS, NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH IN 1991. AND JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO, WHO WAS NOMINATED BY BUSH’S SON, PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH IN 2006. ALITO IS 74-YEARS-OLD. THOMAS AND ALITO MAKE UP A THIRD OF THE CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY ON THE COURT.
IN HIS FIRST TERM, TRUMP WAS ABLE TO NOMINATE AND GET SENATE CONFIRMATION FOR THREE CONSERVATIVE SUPREME COURT APPOINTEES. JUSTICES NEIL GORSUCH, BRETT CAVANAUGH AND AMY CONEY BARRETT.
THEY WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN VOTING TO OVERTURN ROE VERSUS WADE IN 2022, AS WELL AS RULING ON THE EXPANSION OF PRESIDENTIAL POWERS EARLIER THIS YEAR, FINDING A FORMER PRESIDENT IS ENTITLED TO ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY FROM CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR ACTIONS WITHIN HIS CONCLUSIVE AND PRECLUSIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY, BUT NOT UNOFFICIAL ACTS.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THOMAS AND ALITO ARE CONSIDERING RETIREMENT BUT THE OPTION IS MORE REALISTIC UNDER A TRUMP PRESIDENCY AS OPPOSED TO ALLOWING A FUTURE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT TO PICK THEIR SUCCESSOR. FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP