NPR appeared to jump the gun Tuesday on one of the biggest political stories of the year, briefly publishing a report that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring before quickly taking it down.
The story, written by longtime Supreme Court reporter Nina Totenberg, was posted Tuesday morning and then disappeared from NPR’s website.
In its place, NPR published a short editor’s note.
“This story has been taken down. It was published in error.”
The brief retirement report set off a scramble because the stakes are enormous.
If Alito were to step down, President Donald Trump would have the chance to nominate a fourth justice to the Supreme Court, further cementing his influence over the nation’s highest court for decades.
Alito, one of the court’s most reliable conservative voices, was appointed by former President George W. Bush in 2005 to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Trump appointed three justices during his first term: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
A fourth appointment would give Donald Trump another historic opportunity to shape the judiciary at the highest level.
The retracted NPR story drew even more attention because of who wrote it.
Totenberg has covered the Supreme Court for decades and is considered one of the most connected reporters on the beat.
Her byline quickly fueled speculation that NPR may have had a real story that was published too early, though the outlet has not offered any explanation beyond its retraction note.
As of Tuesday, neither Alito nor the Supreme Court had announced any retirement plans.
The episode comes at a tense political moment, with every Supreme Court vacancy carrying massive consequences for both parties.
For Democrats, an Alito retirement under Trump would be a nightmare scenario, giving Republicans another chance to lock in a conservative majority.
For conservatives, it would be a once-in-a-generation opening to replace one of their own while the GOP controls the White House.
For now, though, there is no vacancy.
NPR’s report is gone, Alito remains on the bench, and Washington is left wondering whether the outlet made a simple newsroom error or accidentally revealed a story before it was ready.
POLL: Will You Support Trump And His Candidates In The Midterms?
