The Truth-o-Meter says: False | Did Justice Kennedy quit due to family ties to Trump and Russia? The New York Times detailed connections between the Trump White House and Justice Anthony Kennedy, searching for factors that might have inspired Kennedy to retire so abruptly before the November midterms. The newspaper examined a number of connections that the Trump family might have exploited to earn Kennedy’s trust: constant praise for his work, the routine promotion of his clerks, and visits from the president’s family.