Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) pushed back on calls for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to retire.
Following President-elect Donald Trump‘s shock victory on Tuesday, Democrats have sought to secure their power in any way possible. Some have responded to fears over Trump being able to appoint more Supreme Court Justices by suggesting that Sotomayor, 70, should retire before Trump’s inauguration so that President Joe Biden can appoint a new, younger justice.
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In an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Sanders gave little credence to the suggestion.
“No, I don’t,” Sanders said soberly when asked if he would support calls for Sotomayor to step down.
JUST IN: Bernie Sanders Tells NBC’s Meet the Press He Disagrees with Calls for Justice Sotomayor to Step Down Quickly to Allow Biden to Appoint a Replacement Before Trump Gets In Since She’s 70 Years Old. pic.twitter.com/hsGuLrChHw
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After a noticeably pregnant pause, host Kristen Welker asked if he had heard of talks of the justice stepping down.
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“A little bit, yes. I don’t think it’s the sensible approach,” Sanders said.
The Vermont senator’s answers were noticeably brief and without further elaboration.
Sotomayor is the oldest liberal justice on the court — if she were to die during Trump’s second term, the president-elect would be able to appoint a conservative supermajority of 6-3.
People close to Sotomayor told the Wall Street Journal that she has no plans to retire anytime soon.
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“This is no time to lose her important voice on the court. She just turned 70 and takes better care of herself than anyone I know,” one person said.
Sotomayor was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009. She has been one of the most liberal on the country’s highest court.