Trump Floats Idea For His Next Supreme Court Appointment As Rumors Swirl About Possible Retirements
President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that Senator Ted Cruz could be a future nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, praising the Texas Republican during a speech in Corpus Christi as speculation continues about potential retirements on the high court.
Trump called Cruz “an amazing guy” who is “so good and so talented,” adding, “I’m thinking about putting him in the Supreme Court.” The president joked that Cruz would receive “100%” support from Democrats and Republicans alike because his opponents might “want to get him out of” the Senate, calling him “such a pain.”
The comments come as rumors circulate that conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — the two oldest members of the Court — could retire within the next few years. Thomas, 77, is the longest-serving justice, while Alito, 75, has served for two decades. Neither has announced plans to step down, but Alito’s upcoming book release has fueled fresh speculation about his future.
Trump has previously floated Cruz’s name for the bench. During his first term, he privately discussed Supreme Court vacancies with Cruz following the death of Antonin Scalia. Cruz has said he declined those overtures multiple times, explaining that he prefers to remain “in the middle” of political battles rather than serve in a judicial role.
“My answer’s not just no, it’s hell no,” Cruz said earlier this year when asked about the possibility of a nomination. The former Supreme Court clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist acknowledged the honor of potentially succeeding Scalia but emphasized that he believes his calling is in the legislative arena.
During his first term, Trump reshaped the Supreme Court by nominating Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, cementing a 6–3 conservative majority after Senate Republicans blocked then-President Barack Obama from replacing Scalia with Merrick Garland.
Although Trump has recently expressed frustration with certain rulings from members of the Court’s conservative wing, he has publicly said he hopes both Thomas and Alito remain on the bench. Still, with control of the White House and a Republican Senate, any vacancy during Trump’s term would give him another opportunity to leave a lasting imprint on the judiciary.