Trump Implores 2 Conservative Justices To Remain On Supreme Court

President Donald Trump urged Supreme Court Associate Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas on Tuesday to remain on the bench.

Politico’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns asked Trump during an interview on Politico’s “The Conversation” if he would like to see Alito or Thomas retire so he can appoint a younger conservative to the Supreme Court. Trump said that both of the justices are “fantastic” and that they should remain where they are.

“Do you want to see one of the justices on the Supreme Court retire so you can put in one more before the end of your term? … Clarence Thomas is 77,” Burns asked. “Samuel Alito is 75. Do you want one more on there?”

“Uh, well, I hope they stay ’cause I think they’re fantastic, OK? Both of those men are fantastic,” Trump said.

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Trump also warned that some Democrats want to pack the court, which he said would be a “terrible thing” for the country.

The president appointed three justices, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, to the court during his first term, which gave the court a conservative majority. Alito and Thomas have ruled in Trump’s favor on many key cases, such as granting Trump immunity for official acts taken during his presidency and allowing him to deport Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act.

The court is taking up a case involving Trump’s executive order barring birthright citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants. Trump told Burns that the justices must rule in the administration’s favor since that the constitutional clause never intended to grant citizenship to children of wealthy or illegal immigrants.