Ginsburg did everything but swear that she would leave office only when dead. Yet there are some unhappy examples of Supreme Court Justices who held on too long. Justice Douglas was slack-jawed and senile, in a wheel chair, and wearing an often leaky colostomy bag when he finally quit, and Justice Holmes was not only senile when he retired but frequently skipped out in the afternoon for the local burlesque show, where he sat in the front row and leered at the dancers. When Holmes was asked to retire at the age of 90, he said that he was surprised that his colleagues had waited so long!
At 5+ years she seems to be suggesting she’d be willing to step down if the Dems beat Trump in 2020, before the outcome of the 2024 election is known—to avoid a Merrick Garland situation before the GOP might regain the presidency.