Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hopes to sit on the Supreme Court for five years or more. During a speaking appearance Sunday after a performance in New York City of “The Originalist,” a play about the late Justice Antonin Scalia, she said, “I’m now 85. My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years, reports CNN. Ginsburg’s declaration brought relief to liberal fans who have been obsessing over her health since the beginning of the Trump administration, the Washington Post reports.
She has survived both colon and pancreatic cancer. Her widely publicized exercise routine, known as the “RBG workout,” includes push-ups, planks and arm curls. Asked about her health in the documentary “RBG,” the Supreme Court justice says “she’s proud of keeping herself in shape to do this job.”Asked last year if she was contemplating retirement, she said, “as long as I can do the job full steam, I will do it.” She has reportedly hired law clerks through 2020, sending the message that she plans on sticking around. There are also those video clips of Ginsburg nodding off during the State of the Union address. She is already five years past the average retirement age of the past 11 justices, and is three years older than retiring justice Anthony Kennedy. As a presidential candidate, Trump responded to her public criticism of him by calling on her to resign, tweeting that her “mind is shot.” Her liberal supporters reject that possibility, particularly now that Trump has nominated two conservative justices, Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed, and Brett Kavanaugh, whose nomination is pending.