Ginsburg’s Cancer Surgery Reminds Liberals of Supreme Court’s Fragility

  • Prognosis seen as good for 85-year-old Supreme Court liberal
  • Any departure could let Trump fill third high court vacancy
Ruth Bader GinsburgPhotographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s latest health scare gave liberals renewed cause to worry and conservatives a chance to envision that President Donald Trump might eventually make a third nomination to an already conservative U.S. Supreme Court.

The 85-year-old jurist underwent lung surgery Friday to remove two cancerous growths. Although doctors found no evidence of any remaining disease, the episode was a reminder of how quickly a health issue can change the court’s composition.