Retired Justices Breyer, Kennedy Attend State of the Union

Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer came out of retirement to attend President Joe Biden’s state of the union Tuesday, the first retired justices to do so since 1997.

Seven current and retired justices are attending this year’s speech, making it the most highly attended speech by members of the court since President Bill Clinton’s 1997 address. That year Justice Byron White attended after retiring from the court in 1993.

In addition to Kennedy and Breyer, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson made an appearance Tuesday night. It’s the first ...