NPR retracts false report claiming Justice Samuel Alito is retiring from the Supreme Court

NPR retracted a story on Tuesday after falsely reporting that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had retired. 

NPR published a story headlined, "Justice Samuel Alito, who published the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, retires," that would have rocked the Supreme Court. However, NPR retracted the story and replaced it with an editor’s note. 

"Earlier today we erroneously published a story saying that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. He has not announced his retirement and we have retracted the story," NPR wrote. 

NPR did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

ALITO NOT EXPECTED TO RETIRE THIS TERM, COOLING SUPREME COURT VACANCY SPECULATION: SOURCES

The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital. Courthouse News reporter Kelsey Reichmann posted a comment from SCOTUS public information officer declaring the NPR report to be "inaccurate." 

Rumors about Alito, 76, potentially retiring have grown because of his age, his two-decade tenure on the bench and speculation that he may want to make sure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate before the upcoming midterm elections. Former President George W. Bush nominated him for the nation's highest court in 2005. 

In April, a source told Fox News Digital that Alito "is not stepping down this term and is in the process of hiring the rest of his clerks for the next term." Two other sources have told Fox News that Alito is not retiring this term, which lasts until the Supreme Court's new year kicks off in October.

President Donald Trump recently told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo he is "prepared" to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise. Trump added he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names.

During that interview, Trump said he thinks Alito, who has sided with him on most high-profile cases, is "in very good physical health" and called him "one of the great justices of our time."

This is a developing story, more to come… 

Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita, Alec Schemmel and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report