Is Ruth Bader Ginsburg Next To Retire Or Die? Trump Is Betting On It

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Image by getty images

By Alyssa Fisher June 28, 2018

President Donald Trump has privately predicted he will appoint four justices by the end of his first term, according to sources who’ve spoken with him on the subject. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is 85, now tops his list, following the announcement Wednesday that Anthony Kennedy is retiring.

“It’s all about the numbers for him,” one source told political news site Axios.

Trump told the sources he had already replaced Antonin Scalia with Neil Gorsuch, and there were rumors Anthony Kennedy would retire. When asked for the other two, he was quick to point out Bader Ginsburg as the next in line.

“Ginsburg,” Trump answered. “What does she weigh? 60 pounds?”

And the fourth?

“Sotomayor,” Trump said, referring to the then recently-appointed Obama justice. “Her health,” Trump explained. “No good. Diabetes.”

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO