Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says he is considering retirement and could hand Trump another nomination

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, 76, says retirement is on his mind. In a CBS News interview, he said someone his age has to weigh the question every term, though he still believes he has valuable work to do on the bench. CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford noted that he passed on stepping down this year despite considerable pressure from Republicans, who control the Senate and could more easily confirm a successor, according to The Independent.

A departure would give President Donald Trump a fourth appointment to the high court, joining Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The court's 6-3 conservative majority would stay the same, but when a justice leaves carries lasting weight, since whichever party holds power can influence the bench for decades. Alito was nominated by President George W. Bush in the fall of 2005 and joined the court in January 2006.

If Democrats win the Senate in November's midterm elections, they could complicate confirmation of a replacement during Trump's remaining two years. Asked about retirement rumors in April, Trump joked about having someone for 40 years, then called Alito brilliant and said he does right by the country.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →