Appointing justices to the Supreme Court allows presidents to extend their influence well beyond their terms of office. The prospect of tilting the Supreme Court to the right nudged enough GOP-leaning voters into Donald Trump’s camp in 2016, helping to vault Trump into the White House. Trump returned the favor by putting the finishing touches on the most conservative Supreme Court in generations.
The ideological bent of the Supreme Court could also play a role in the 2024 presidential election. Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito will be 76 and 74 years old, respectively, on Inauguration Day 2025. It is not inconceivable that one or both of the archconservative justices might retire in the next four years. Whichever president appoints their replacements could swing the Court to the left for the first time in years or entrench a conservative supermajority for decades to come.
Todd Belt, director of the Political Management master’s program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management, is an expert on the presidency who can weigh in on the importance of potential Supreme Court appointments in the 2024 elections.
John P. Collins, Visiting Associate Professor of Fundamentals of Lawyering at the George Washington University Law School. Professor Collins is an expert in judiciary structure, judicial nominations, court structure, and court administration. Professor Collins is able to explain the process of nomination and appointment of new justices.
If you would like to schedule an interview with a GW professor, please contact GW Media Relations at [email protected].