Trump might not get another Supreme Court justice |
The Supreme Court's future could ride on the midterm elections. Whoever controls the Senate will help decide whether President Donald Trump gets another appointment, or whether Democrats can block his nominees until after the 2028 election.
Take Justice Samuel Alito. Asked by CBS News recently whether he'd considered retiring, he said he had. "It's something that I think that somebody at my age has to think about every term," he said. "But I thought that I could still make a valuable contribution, which is why I became a justice and a judge in the first place."
Alito, 76, also told Bloomberg he decided months ago to stay through this term, which ends in June. That means the earliest he's likely to step down is summer 2027 – after the new Senate is sworn in.
The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. Its ideology is more nuanced than that number suggests, but Republicans are eager to protect that majority and Democrats are eager to chip away at it.
The Supreme Court is on the midterm election ballot
Divided government looks all but certain. Democrats are heavily favored to retake the House. The open question is whether Republicans hold the Senate.
Presidents nominate Supreme Court justices, and the Senate confirms them. Those votes have grown increasingly bitter, and both parties are now willing to play........