Justice Samuel Alito Confirms He's Staying on the Supreme Court for Another Term

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed he is remaining on the bench for another term, putting to rest weeks of retirement speculation. "Obviously, I'm here for another term," The 76-year-old said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal's editorial section.

Speculation about Alito's future intensified in June when a National Public Radio reporter mistakenly published a pre-written retirement story. The court promptly corrected the error, but discussion about his potential departure continued. A retirement would have allowed Republican President Donald Trump to appoint a fourth Supreme Court justice.

In a rare sit-down interview in his chambers, Alito addressed questions about the court's functioning and denied that political considerations shape his rulings. "I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided," He said. "If that means a high correlation with what Trump wants, fine. If it means zero correlation with what Trump wants, fine as well."