As you may be aware, speculation has been growing that one of our nation’s greatest Supreme Court Justices — Sam Alito — might be retiring soon.
Some people hypothesized that the 76-year-old judge may want to step down so that President Trump can appoint a conservative successor and get them confirmed before midterms in November.
Then, a few days ago, President Trump added more fuel to the rumors when he mentioned that he is prepared to nominate a replacement.
We covered that here:
However, it turns out that such rumors were unfounded.
According to reports from Fox News and CBS News, Justice Alito has no plans to retire this year.
And, neither does 77-year-old Justice Clarence Thomas.
Check it out:
🚨 JUST IN: Supreme Court Justices SAM ALITO and CLARENCE THOMAS are NOT retiring this year — CBS and FOX
This would mean that President Trump won't have any SCOTUS appointments before the midterms
These guys are BASED and their eventual replacements must be impeccable!
Thomas… pic.twitter.com/DGEckYhwGk
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 17, 2026
JUST IN: Supreme Court Justices SAM ALITO and CLARENCE THOMAS are NOT retiring this year — CBS and FOX
This would mean that President Trump won’t have any SCOTUS appointments before the midterms
These guys are BASED and their eventual replacements must be impeccable!
Thomas is the GOAT for many, but Alito is up there too 🇺🇸
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Fox News was the first to shut down the rumors of Justice Alito’s retirement:
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is not expected to step down this term and has already hired all four law clerks for the upcoming annual term despite speculation the high court justice was weighing retirement, multiple sources said.
Alito “is not stepping down this term and is in the process of hiring the rest of his clerks for the next term,” a source told Fox News Digital. Two other sources told Fox News that Alito is not retiring this term, which lasts until the Supreme Court’s new year kicks off in October.
Justices tend to hire their clerks two to three years in advance, although that process is not necessarily indicative of a justice’s retirement plans.
The revelation that Alito is reportedly not planning to step down comes after President Donald Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo he is “prepared” to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise. Trump added he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names.
Then, in another report, CBS News added that Clarence Thomas also will not be retiring:
Sources close to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirm that he is not planning to retire this year. Sources close to Justice Clarence Thomas also tell CBS News that he does not plan to step down.
That indicates that this year, with the midterm elections on the horizon, President Trump will not be able to plan on an opportunity to make his fourth nomination to the Supreme Court.
ADVERTISEMENTAlito’s plans were first reported by Fox News. Alito, who is 76, and Thomas, 77, are two of the core members of the court’s conservative majority.
Many people see this as great news.
Justice Alito and Thomas are both doing a phenomenal job helping President Trump carry out his mandate to the American people.
Although President Trump says he has some people in mind, it really would be tough to find replacements as loyal and strong as these two.
So, why should they retire just yet?
Take a look at a few of these responses online:
1. Good. They are irreplaceable.
2. Republicans must keep the Senate https://t.co/ntLL6Y2qcH
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) April 17, 2026
Smart move by two of the most reliable originalists on the Court.
Thomas and Alito staying put keeps the majority stable through the midterms. Focus now needs to be protecting the Senate and making sure any future replacements are rock-solid constitutionalists.
— Hunter Thompson (@iwastaken) April 18, 2026
Two solid conservatives holding their seats. The court majority stays intact. The left has been praying for vacancies since 2022 and it keeps not happening.
— The MAGA Majority (@themagamajority) April 18, 2026
However, some other people are warning that this may be a mistake.
In the case that Democrats manage to get a majority in the Senate in November and something happens to either of these two justices, there could be a big problem.
A few X users noted this:
I hope we don’t regret their decision. I love ‘em both and don’t want them to leave, but if the midterms go horribly wrong and a new Dem majority refuses to confirm a conservative nominee … Lord help us!
— Waldo Pepper (@waldogerard) April 18, 2026
Could be one of the dumbest moves in History! I see only upside to there retirement, I see a whole lot of downsides to not retiring!
These men are heroes but positives of them retiring outweigh the gain of them not
— MattBoston🍻☘️🇺🇲🇺🇸 #MAGA🇺🇸🇺🇲☘️🍻 (@MattRobbs) April 18, 2026
Whatever you think, Alito and Thomas aren’t going anywhere soon.
On another interesting note, Clarence Thomas currently holds the record for the second-longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history, having served 34 years so far.
(The longest-serving justice is William O. Douglas, who served for roughly 36 years.)
So, it looks like Clarence Thomas is going for the top spot!
What’s your opinion?
Are Justices Alito and Thomas making the right choice?
Join the conversation!
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