NPR issued a retraction on Tuesday after mistakenly reporting that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had retired. The article, titled “Justice Samuel Alito retires after issuing opinion overturning Roe v. Wade,” could have significantly impacted the Supreme Court landscape. However, NPR quickly replaced the piece with an editor’s note clarifying, “Earlier today, we mistakenly published an article saying that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. He did not announce his retirement, and we have retracted the article.”
NPR has not yet responded to requests for comment. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Supreme Court referred to the NPR report as “inaccurate,” according to Courthouse News’ Kelsey Reichman.
Speculation about Alito, who is 76, possibly retiring has arisen due to his age, his long tenure, and the belief that he might want to ensure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate before the next midterm elections. Alito was nominated to the Supreme Court by former President George W. Bush in 2005.
In an April conversation, a source informed Fox News Digital that Alito “will not resign this term and is in the process of hiring the remaining office staff for next term.” Additional sources corroborated this, suggesting that Alito’s term will continue until October, marking the start of the Supreme Court’s new year.
President Donald Trump recently mentioned to FOX Business that he is “ready” to appoint up to three justices if any vacancies occur, though he refrained from naming specific candidates. He expressed confidence in Alito, describing him as “in great shape” and as “one of the great judges of our time.”
This story is still evolving, so more updates may be forthcoming.
