Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly predicted a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court if the next president serves an eight-year term.
DeSantis made the remarks as he prepared to formally announce his bid for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 this week.
The implication was that DeSantis could influence the court over an eight-year period, but Trump would be term-limited out after four years, if he defeated former President Donald Trump for the nomination and went on to beat President Joe Biden.
According to DeSantis, the next president will be able to replace Justice Clarence Thomas, 74, and Justice Samuel Alito, 73, over the course of two presidential terms.
He proposed that the next president may even pick successors for Chief Justice John Roberts, 68, who occasionally votes with the court’s liberal wing, and Sonia Sotomayor, 68, who was chosen by President Barack Obama.
Judge Meredith Sasso was appointed by DeSantis to the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Since assuming the office of governor in 2019, Sasso is his eighth appointment to the Supreme Court.
She belongs to both the Federalist Society and the conservative American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network.
Control of the Supreme Court is likely to be a major issue in both 2024 and 2028 with a number of older Justices on track to potentially retire, including Justice Clarence Thomas who has been a crucial vote for conservatives in recent years.
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