Alito, 76, stays on Supreme Court for next term
Why it matters: A retirement this year could have let President Donald Trump fill a fourth seat on the high court.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Friday that he will remain on the bench for another term, ending weeks of speculation that he might step down. In an interview published in The Wall Street Journal’s editorial section, the 76-year-old justice said, “Obviously, I’m here for another term.” Retirement rumors surged in June after National Public Radio mistakenly published a prewritten story saying Alito would leave the court. The report was quickly withdrawn, and the court said it was inaccurate. In the same interview, Alito pushed back on claims that partisan politics shape his rulings, saying he decides cases based on how he believes they should come out.