Experts suspect Clarence Thomas fears Trump will replace him with 'hack'

Speculation abounds as to whether 76-year-old Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will retire anytime soon, paving the way for President Donald Trump to appoint a justice openly willing to carry out his agenda, Newsweek reported.

Experts began discussing the idea more fervently after Trump picked a fight with the conservative Federalist Society and its co-founder Leonard Leo over the current justices failing to fall in line.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote that he was was "'disappointed' by 'the bad advice' the society had given him on judicial nominations during his first term."

Trump has been particularly upset with Justice Amy Coney Barrett for siding with the liberals in recent cases.

"Amid these events, legal analysts have speculated that judges such as Thomas will be reluctant to retire over concerns about who might replace them," the report said.

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Newsweek cited The Wall Street Journal editorial board that wrote, "attacking conservative judges would make it less likely that they will retire, 'lest they be replaced by partisan hacks.'"

But Matthew Mangino, a former district attorney, told Newsweek, "The cult of Donald Trump is stronger than any association, society or organization. If Trump wants Justice Alito and Thomas to move aside, they will oblige; if he wants them to stay, they'll stay, it is that simple. If conservatives expect these two justices to take a heroic stand against the president to save the Federalist Society, they are sadly mistaken."

At 75, Samuel Alito is the second-oldest justice currently on the bench.

Newsweek quoted legal commentator David Lat who wrote on his Substack, "I'm sticking to my prediction from last year that we won't see a SCOTUS retirement during Trump's term."

Read the Newsweek article here.