Shannon Bream with Fox News is reporting that Justice Breyer wasn’t ready to announce his retirement today, that someone jumped the gun on the announcement:
Multiple sources tell me Justice Breyer was not planning to announce his retirement today. They describe him as "upset" with how this has played out. We still await any official notice from his office and/or the #SCOTUS public information office.
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 26, 2022
She clarified to say that ‘upset’ might be too strong a word, but that he was surprised by the early reveal:
A bit more clarity. I'm told Justice Breyer had firmly decided on his own to retire and that an announcement was due very soon. And while it appears someone jumped the gun on that, better to characterize him as surprised by events today than "upset".
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 26, 2022
I wonder if someone was worried that Breyer might change his mind and made the announcement for him to ensure his retirement ahead of the midterms. There was huge pressure on him to retire and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s how it went down.