Breyer Reportedly Fuming That News of His Retirement Got Out Before He Officially Announced
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is reportedly “upset” at news of his reported retirement from the nation’s highest court, according to Fox News’ Shannon Bream, citing “multiple sources.”
NBC News first reported on Wednesday that Breyer, 83, will retire after the current term.
Appearing on America Reports, Bream reported:
I now have multiple sources telling me that Justice Breyer was not planning to announce his retirement today. Now only he knows that and, as we wait on the court, the longer we wait, the more that it seems like that is a possibility. I’m told that he is upset that the way this is being handled was not the timeline that he had planned.
We’ve reached back to him and to the court to try to get some clarification on that and maybe in his statement we’ll learn more. But we know that there’s been pressure on him for months, as there was on Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg to step down, while the Democrats have control of the Senate, narrow though it is. But listen, I think it makes sense that he was going to probably retire this term anyway, and we’re told, and what [Fox News’] Jennifer Griffin has been told by a good source, is that this isn’t his timing and it is in his plan in that he was going to step down.
Watch above, via Fox News.
UPDATE 3:41 pm ET: Bream later tweeted that wasn’t upset as much as he was “surprised.”
A bit more clarity. I’m told Justice Breyer had firmly decided on his own to retire and that an announcement was due very soon. And while it appears someone jumped the gun on that, better to characterize him as surprised by events today than “upset”.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 26, 2022
