Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is reportedly putting retirement rumors to rest, making clear he has no plans to step down from the nation’s highest court anytime soon.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Friday, Alito addressed speculation surrounding his future, declaring that he fully intends to remain on the bench as the Supreme Court prepares to begin another term.
“Obviously I’m here for another term,” Alito told the newspaper’s opinion section.
The comments mark the first public remarks from the conservative justice regarding his future since an erroneous NPR report claimed he had announced his retirement on the final opinion day of the Supreme Court’s term. Alito has never publicly indicated that he intended to leave the Court, but the report fueled renewed speculation about whether he might retire while Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, allowing President Donald Trump to nominate a successor.
At 76 years old, Alito is the second-oldest member of the Supreme Court, behind Justice Clarence Thomas, who is 78. Despite their ages, both justices remain younger than the most recent members of the Court who chose to retire.
Alito’s interview comes as he prepares for another milestone outside the courtroom. The justice is set to publish his first full-length book in October, coinciding with the start of the Court’s upcoming term.
Reflecting on the retirement rumors, Alito acknowledged they served as a reminder of the passage of time but suggested they had no bearing on his plans to continue serving.
“It’s not pleasant, in the sense that it’s a reminder of mortality,” Alito said. “It’s like, what are those vultures doing up there? They are flying around. But it goes with life tenure.”
Beyond addressing speculation about his future, Alito also responded to criticism surrounding several recent Supreme Court decisions in which he dissented in favor of positions backed by President Trump. Those cases involved issues including tariffs, birthright citizenship, and the removal of a Federal Reserve governor.
Critics have argued that Alito’s votes have frequently aligned with Trump’s legal positions. The justice rejected the suggestion that his decisions are driven by political considerations, saying his approach has always been to decide each case based on what he believes the law requires.
“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,” Alito told The Wall Street Journal.
He said he would not alter his legal analysis simply to influence how others perceive his impartiality.
According to Alito, some people have suggested that he should occasionally rule differently in order to appear more objective, an idea he firmly rejected.
The justice described that approach as “absolutely wrong.”
“There have been people who’ve recommended to me that I do that. I’m not going to do that,” Alito said.
His remarks underscore his view that Supreme Court justices should decide cases based solely on their interpretation of the law rather than public opinion or political pressure.
For now, Alito’s comments appear to settle questions about whether he intends to leave the Court in the near future. Instead, he made clear that he remains committed to serving on the Supreme Court as it enters another term, while dismissing speculation that retirement is on the horizon.
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