Former Vice President Kamala Harris warned that President Donald Trump must not be allowed to pick two “additional justices” for the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Democrats “must be clear-eyed about what is at stake.”
In a post on X, Harris — who got wiped out by Trump in the 2024 election – shared an article from The New York Times about how a “liberal organization” was “preparing a multimillion–dollar effort to oppose potential Trump Supreme Court appointees before they happen.”
The Times reported that Josh Orton, who serves as “the president of Demand Justice,” predicted that “the project would cost $3 million to start and $15 million more if vacancies occurred.”
The outlet noted:
Josh Orton, the president of Demand Justice, said the project would cost $3 million to start and $15 million more if vacancies occurred and Mr. Trump nominated a successor to the court — most likely for Clarence Thomas or Samuel A. Alito Jr., the two oldest justices. Justice Thomas is 77 years old, and Justice Alito is 76.
If Democrats were to win control of the Senate in the November elections — they need to flip at least four Republican-held seats to do so — Mr. Trump would face steep odds of getting nominees confirmed during the remainder of his term. If a Democrat were to succeed him as president, Justices Thomas and Alito would both be in their 80s by the time a potential Republican president could appoint a successor.
“We must be clear eyed about what is at stake with the Supreme Court right now,” Harris wrote. “We cannot allow Donald Trump to hand pick one, if not two, additional justices. The nation’s highest court must be stopped from becoming even more beholden to him.”
Trump’s justices have been sticklers for adhering to the original meaning and intent behind the Constitution’s various amendments, something justices picked by Democrat presidents do not do. The latest Democrat nominee, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, was literally selected because she is a woman and black.
Harris posted her comments following a recent report that revealed that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had been “taken to a hospital after becoming ill” during an event on March 20, “people with knowledge,” told CNN. Alito suffered some mild dehydration and was quickly released.
“On the evening of Friday, March 20, Justice Alito felt ill during an event in Philadelphia,” Patricia McCabe, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, he agreed with his security detail’s recommendation to see a physician before the three-hour drive home. After that examination and the administration of fluids for dehydration, he returned home that night, as previously planned.”
Because Alito and his wife were planning to return to their home in Northern Virginia, they stopped at a hospital as a precaution, sources said.
Alito was in Philadelphia for a Federalist Society event honoring his jurisprudence, sources said. He did not attend earlier panels that day, but he did participate in a pre-dinner reception and the evening event alongside several federal judges, including former clerks.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court of the United States released opinions from the bench, though Alito was not present in the courtroom. He did attend the court’s private conference with fellow justices following the session, sources said.
Alito turned 76 this week and was present for Supreme Court arguments on birthright citizenship, which were also attended by Donald Trump. Observers said he appeared normal during the proceedings.
Alito was nominated to the court in 2005 by former President George W. Bush and confirmed in 2006. He is currently the second-oldest member of the court, behind Justice Clarence Thomas, who is 77.