Republican Donald Trump's return to the presidency is expected to precipitate a shift in the U.S. government's legal stance in major cases pending at the Supreme Court, including a closely watched dispute involving Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.

The Supreme Court doesn't have any vacancies, but Republicans are keeping a close eye on Justices Alito and Thomas for potential retirements in Trump's second term.

Some liberals called for Justice Sonia Sotomayor to retire before Donald Trump returns to the White House. But Democrats would struggle to confirm a replacement.

Donald Trump returns to the White House shielded with presidential immunity by the Supreme Court and with the prospect of cementing a conservative majority on the bench for at least a generation.Steve Vladeck,