Justice Sonia Sotomayor Faces Renewed Calls to Retire After Trump Win.

Following Donald Trump’s recent presidential victory, renewed calls surfaced for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, age 70, to retire. Appointed by President Obama in 2009, Sotomayor, the Court's first Latina justice, holds a critical position on a bench dominated by a 6-3 conservative supermajority. With Trump set to assume office, many are urging Sotomayor to step down before he can appoint another conservative justice, potentially pushing the Court further to the right.

Social media and public commentary have reignited this push, with figures like Professor Miranda Yaver suggesting that Sotomayor should retire immediately to allow President Joe Biden and the current Democrat-controlled Senate to confirm a replacement during the "lame-duck" period, the final months of a president’s term. David Dayen, editor of The American Prospect, also voiced support for Sotomayor’s timely retirement, echoing sentiments from earlier in the year when journalist Mehdi Hasan highlighted fears of a conservative-dominated Court, comparing Sotomayor’s situation to that of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg’s passing in 2020 allowed then-President Trump to appoint Justice Amy Coney Barrett, shifting the Court further right.

While Trump has already appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Barrett during his previous term, the push for Sotomayor’s retirement is heightened by concerns that a similar scenario could repeat. The narrow Senate majority of 51-49 may complicate any rapid replacement efforts, sparking debates on how swiftly Biden’s administration could confirm a new justice if Sotomayor retires.