This column has made it a year-end tradition
It’s just a hunch, but I think we’ll see a Supreme Court retirement this year. I am doubtful it will be a liberal justice, due to the risk that President Trump would fill the seat with a conservative. Next year Clarence Thomas will be 78 next year and Samuel Alito will be 76. If their calculation is that a Democrat may win in 2028, it would be give them even more reason for them to retire and ensure that their seats are passed to new conservatives.
Early exits by cabinet officials are common in every administration, but I believe Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth are going to be the first to leave. They are the faces of immigration, drug enforcement, and homeland security. These are grueling 24-hour news-cycle positions, and they have garnered the highest level of media attention of any Cabinet members. This scrutiny will only ramp up if the Democratic Party looks poised to take the House. I believe Hegseth and Noem leave before the end of 2026, allowing them to reemerge as talking heads and position themselves for future political ambitions.
“If J.D. Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him.” This was what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said when he was asked about the prospects of Vice President Vance running for the Oval Office. I expect 2026 to be the year that the Republican Party coronates Vance.
Other contenders will interpret this Rubio line to mean they should defer to Vance. Vance continues to be in good standing with the president and party leaders. I predict next year he will take the presumptive 2028 front-runner status to the next level.
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