Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. | Tom Brenner/Getty Images
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, two days after she was admitted for experiencing chills and fever.
“She is home and doing well,” Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said in a statement.
Ginsburg was evaluated at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, then transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for further evaluation, according to a news release from the court. Her symptoms subsided after “intravenous antibiotics and fluids” treatment.
The 86-year-old has undergone a series of health scares. Since her appointment in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, she has had four occurrences of cancer, including two in the past year. In August, Ginsburg finished radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer. In December, she had surgery to remove cancerous nodules from her left lung — discovered only after she fell and fractured three ribs. Ginsburg also took a mid-November absence from a public session of the court because of a stomach bug.
Ginsburg has repeatedly swatted away concerns regarding her health. But the possibility that she will no longer be a formidable presence on the court is worrisome for liberal interests. If she were to leave, President Donald Trump would have the opportunity to shift the court further to the right by nominating a third justice, adding to the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.