The corridors of power in D.C. are buzzing with the news that a vacancy is imminent on the U.S. Supreme Court – one that is currently held by one of the most liberal members of the Court.
It has the Trump White House giddy over the prospect of potentially and forcefully shifting the balance of power on the Court while Democrats in Congress are said to be “scrambling” and warning White House staff of a prolonged and brutal fight should Trump attempt to replace a liberal Justice with a hardline-conservative nominee.
DC Whispers reports: The reason for the Justice’s alleged departure is said to be “ongoing illness/physical limitations.”
The first on the Court that comes to mind given those clues is 84-year old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Justice Ginsberg has visibly slowed down a great deal in recent years, and has been prone to falling asleep in public, even when on the bench. Ginsberg’s office has taken to pushing back on rumors of her health issues via a series of left-leaning media publications, but Court watchers have noted Ginsberg’s increasingly limited public schedule of late.
Despite his 79-years, Justice Stephen Bryer’s place on the Court apparently remains secure, but not so with two others – swing-vote Justice Anthony Kennedy, 81, and liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 63.
Justice Kennedy, a moderate liberal (or moderate conservative depending on who you talk to) has already hinted at possible retirement, so he is not the likely source of the current Supreme Court rumors.
Justice Sotomayor, though, despite being among the Court’s younger members, is said to be struggling greatly with her workload as she deals with a worsening diabetes condition. Court watchers have noted a visible decline in just the last year where she appears to have aged ten years.
Rumors are also swirling regarding staff having to take up an increasing workload for the ailing Sotomayor who is said to have difficulty maintaining her train of thought for more than short periods of time. And like Ginsberg, Sotomayor’s staff is working hard to orchestrate a media-driven narrative to counter rumors of her decline.
Here is the thought that is now keeping the far-left elites up at night. Justice Kennedy might very well be preparing for retirement. That would be one Supreme Court vacancy. And if the rumors of ill health regarding Ginsberg and Sotomayor are in fact true, that could be two or even THREE vacancies on the Court for Trump to fill within the next year or two.