Trump may appoint his own appellate judges to the Supreme Court if a retirement occurs, according to expert predictions.

If a justice retired from the Supreme Court, experts predict that President-elect Trump will adhere to his prior judicial beliefs when selecting a potential nominee.

During his first term, Trump appointed more than 50 federal appellate judges, all of whom were under the age of 55 at the time of their appointments.

Politicians and media personalities have urged the older justices on the court, specifically Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, to step down in anticipation of a Trump presidency. Similarly, calls were made for justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan prior to the general election. According to Politico, Democrats are currently discussing whether Sotomayor should resign during the remaining two months of their control over the Senate.

""Justices Thomas and Alito have devoted their lives to our country and Constitution, and it is disrespectful to discuss their retirement as if they were mere expired meat," said conservative legal activist Leonard Leo in a statement to Planet Chronicle Digital."

If any justices retire, Trump may have the chance to strengthen the conservative majority by appointing younger justices.

"Devon Ombres, senior director of courts and legal policy at CAPAction, stated that Thomas' retirement is imminent and suggested starting to count down the days. When asked about Sotomayor and Kagan, Ombres clarified that they are not planning to leave their positions."

John Yoo, a professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley, stated on Planet Chronicle Digital that conservative activists are beginning to advocate for justices Alito and Thomas to retire so that President Trump can replace them with younger nominees, in order to maintain conservative majorities on the court for the next 15 to 20 years.

Even if retirements occur, the current court balance will remain unchanged.

"Yoo stated that it is unclear if they should retire, as they are in their mid-70s and appear to be in good health, and they are still performing at the top of their game."

Trump would likely consider his appellate judges appointed during his first term as potential nominees if there was a retirement.

"According to Yoo, Trump, based on his past practices, would likely choose to appoint individuals he had previously appointed to the circuit courts. Trump has a significant pool of options to choose from because he appointed many young conservatives."

Six Trump appointees on the Fifth Circuit, specifically judges James C. Ho and Stuart Kyle Duncan, were noted as potential Supreme Court nominees by Ombres.

Yoo did not specify any names, but he predicted that Trump would rely on certain judges.

"Trump selected individuals with a commitment to originalism and Justice Department backgrounds, including some with similar characteristics."

Trump released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees in anticipation of his first administration in 2016. The list was later expanded ahead of the general election that year and once again in 2017. The list served as a tactic to assuage concerns among Republicans about Trump's ability to appoint conservative justices to the court.

Yoo stated that he does not anticipate Trump will provide a revised list this time.

Trump's decision to release the names of his Supreme Court nominees was a clever move, as it committed him in the minds of conservatives and helped him win over the Republican Party. At the time, he was an outsider, and nobody knew whether he was conservative or not.

"He kept his word, and I believe he no longer needs to do so since his track record is visible to others."