Republicans sound alarm over hidden midterm stakes that could reshape Supreme Court for decades

Some Republicans want the party to make the Supreme Court a central argument in the midterms, warning that a Democratic Senate would be able to stop President Trump from filling any future vacancy on the bench. While most GOP messaging has centered on socialism and a return to Biden-era policies, Montana Sen. Steve Daines told Fox News Digital that voters who aren't yet energized need reminding that the court is at stake.

Daines, who led the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2024 when the party took the Senate, said he raised the point with the White House. He described it as one of several themes, not a single cure-all, and suggested that if a seat opened, Trump might be unable to advance a nominee without a Republican majority.

Age is part of the concern. Justice Clarence Thomas is 78, Samuel Alito 76, Sonia Sotomayor 72 and Chief Justice John Roberts 71. NPR earlier this year published a report that Alito was retiring and then quickly retracted it, which fueled speculation. NRSC spokeswoman Bernadette Breslin argued that Democratic candidates Troy Jackson, Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico would dismantle the court and substitute an enlarged one serving a socialist agenda.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →