Samuel Alito Says He’s Staying on Supreme Court for Another Term After NPR Falsely Reported Retirement

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed Friday that he plans to remain on the nation’s highest court for at least another term, putting an end to renewed speculation that the longtime conservative justice could soon retire.

Alito, 76, addressed his future during an interview with The Wall Street Journal, making clear that he has no immediate plans to leave the bench. “Obviously, I’m here for another term,” Alito said when asked about the retirement speculation.

The announcement comes after NPR mistakenly reported on June 30 that Alito was retiring from the Supreme Court. The outlet quickly pulled the report and issued a correction acknowledging that neither Alito nor the Supreme Court had announced any retirement.

The false report immediately generated political attention because an Alito retirement would have given President Trump an opportunity to nominate another Supreme Court justice. Trump has already appointed three members of the current court, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Alito has served on the Supreme Court since 2006 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. During his two decades on the bench, he has become one of the court’s most prominent conservative and originalist voices, including authoring the majority opinion in the landmark 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Some conservatives have openly discussed whether Alito should retire while Republicans control both the White House and Senate, allowing Trump to nominate a younger conservative replacement who could potentially serve for decades. Alito, however, has shown little interest in allowing political pressure to dictate when he leaves the court.

Alito also rejected suggestions that his decisions are driven by loyalty to Trump or any political party. He maintained that his votes are based on his interpretation of the law and said he would not change a decision simply to create the appearance of political independence.

The timing of any eventual retirement could have major consequences for the ideological balance of the Supreme Court. With control of the Senate potentially changing hands in future elections, Republicans hoping to preserve the court’s conservative majority have increasingly focused on the future of its older justices.

For now, those discussions will have to wait. Alito’s declaration confirms that he intends to return when the Supreme Court begins its next term in October, ensuring one of the court’s most influential conservative justices will remain on the bench for another year.