Alito has never publicly discussed his possible retirement, as is typical of the justices. But when he was secretly admitted earlier this year, many court observers took note of his wife’s hint that he might not be on the court much longer. “I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month,” Martha-Ann Alito said in the recordings, referring to controversies over flying flags at their home and her conversations with her husband about it. “I said, ‘If you’re free from this nonsense, I’ll bring it up.’”

For his part, Thomas apparently hopes to stay on the field as long as possible. The New York Times reported in 1993 that he told one of his law clerks that he planned to serve on the court until 2034. When asked why that particular year, Thomas’ answer was straight to the point. “The Liberals have made my life miserable for 43 years, and I’m going to make their lives miserable for 43 years,” he reportedly said.

Even before Tuesday, the legal math for Democrats was dire. The three justices Trump appointed in his first term were young by judicial standards: Judge Neil Gorsuch was 49 years old at the time of his appointment, Brett Kavanaugh was 53, and Amy Coney Barrett was 48. All three could easily sit on the Supreme Court until the 2060s, and their replacement of older justices meant that Democrats already faced a difficult path to turning the court over to liberals within the next ten to fifteen years. That time horizon is now closer to 30 or 40 years.