Biden would be perfectly happy if Breyer chooses to step down soon. But the president and Klain disagree strongly with progressive activists who are urging a presidential pressure campaign on Breyer to retire, according to sources with direct knowledge.

They also think it’s tactically stupid. They believe that pressuring Breyer could backfire and cause the justice to stay in his job longer to prove he’s unmoved by political interference, these sources said.

Breyer appears to be relishing his new role as the court’s most senior liberal justice. It’s far from clear that he would give this up because of presidential pressure.