Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was taken to a hospital after becoming sick at a Federalist Society dinner in Philadelphia in March. Alito was checked by medical staff and given fluids due to dehydration, and he later returned to his home in Virginia that same night with his security detail. According to the Supreme Court's public information officer, Patricia McCabe, Alito felt ill during the event and agreed with his security detail's recommendation to see a physician before the three-hour drive home. McCabe added that after examination and administration of fluids for dehydration, he returned home as planned and was thoroughly checked by his own physician, returning to work the following Monday for oral argument. The exact medical diagnosis or cause of Alito's illness beyond dehydration has not been disclosed, and full details of the Federalist Society dinner event remain unclear.
In the weeks since, Alito has resumed his duties, including participating in oral arguments, with McCabe confirming the incident and sharing a statement. Alito turned 76 on Wednesday and has served on the court for 20 years, having been appointed by then-president George W. Bush in 2006. He is widely regarded as one of the most consistently conservative justices on the Supreme Court, a role that has made him a pivotal figure in many landmark decisions.
On the evening of Friday, [20 March], Justice Alito felt ill during an event in Philadelphia. Out of an abundance of caution, he agreed with his security detail's recommendation to see a physician before the three-hour drive home.
Alito has become the focus of growing discussion among commentators and media outlets across the political spectrum about whether he might step down, with much of the attention centering on the possibility that it would give Trump the chance to appoint a fourth justice to the nine-member court. Whether Alito has any plans or timeline for retirement is unknown, and the current health status of Clarence Thomas and any potential retirement plans are also not publicly confirmed. Progressive groups are preparing for the possibility that both Clarence Thomas, 77, and Samuel Alito, 76, could retire while Trump is in office.
Demand Justice, a prominent progressive legal advocacy group, is rolling out a multimillion-dollar effort in advance to oppose potential Trump Supreme Court nominees, with the campaign beginning with $3 million in funding and an additional $15 million planned if Trump moves forward with nominations to replace Thomas or Alito. According to Demand Justice, Democrats must treat the prospect of Trump filling more Supreme Court vacancies as the grave threat it is. The specific names or identities of potential Trump nominees to replace Alito or Thomas have not been announced.
After that examination and the administration of fluids for dehydration, he returned home that night, as previously planned. Justice Alito was thoroughly checked by his own physician, and he returned to work the following Monday for oral argument.
Trump appointed three justices during his first presidency: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. If the president is able to name two additional justices, it would preserve the court's current 6-3 conservative balance and potentially create a Trump-aligned majority that could influence decisions for decades.