Justice Samuel Alito has publicly ended speculation about his imminent departure from the Supreme Court, telling the Wall Street Journal in an interview published Friday that he is staying put. “Obviously I’m here for another term,” the 76-year-old conservative jurist said, marking his first direct comments on his future after a false report earlier this year claimed he had announced his retirement.
The clarification comes as Alito prepares to release his first full-length book in October, just as the court reconvenes for its next term. In the interview, he likened the persistent retirement rumors to circling vultures, acknowledging the unease they bring. “It’s not pleasant, in the sense that it’s a reminder of mortality,” he said. “It’s like, what are those vultures doing up there? They are flying around. But it goes with life tenure.”
Alito’s tenure has been a focal point for political observers, particularly given the possibility that President Trump could name a successor if a vacancy opened while Republicans control the Senate. At 76, Alito is the second-oldest justice, trailing only Clarence Thomas, 78. Both remain younger than several recent retirees, undercutting assumptions that age alone would prompt a departure.
The justice also used the interview to push back against critics who have highlighted his dissents in recent high-profile cases involving Trump’s tariffs, birthright citizenship, and the firing of a Federal Reserve governor. Alito insisted his votes are based solely on legal merit, not political alignment. “I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided. If that means a high correlation with what Trump wants, fine. If it means zero correlation with what Trump wants, fine as well,” he said.
He rejected suggestions that he should alter his rulings to appear more objective, calling that approach “absolutely wrong.” Alito revealed that some have privately urged him to do so, but he made clear he has no intention of changing course. “There have been people who’ve recommended to me that I do that. I’m not going to do that,” he told the Journal.
Alito’s remarks arrive amid broader debates over the court’s independence and ethics, with justices themselves split on whether to embrace an external ethics watchdog. The controversy has intensified as the court faces heightened scrutiny over its decisions and the personal security of its members, with Justice Barrett disclosing a swatting incident and the bench requesting a $14 million security upgrade.
Alito’s confirmation of another term removes, for now, a key variable in the political calculus surrounding the court’s future direction. His continued presence ensures the conservative majority remains intact, though his book tour may offer further insight into his judicial philosophy and his views on the pressures facing the institution.
