Inside the White House, senior officials had known for months that Breyer’s retirement was almost imminent, long before he officially announced his decision in a letter to Biden last Thursday, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Late last fall, senior White House aides were informed Breyer was close to a decision, and they had expected him to make the announcement he would retire in early 2022, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private conversations.

The news of Breyer’s expected retirement, a closely held matter inside the White House, reassured senior Biden aides that the president was extremely likely to have the opportunity to nominate a replacement justice before the midterm elections in November and allow him to fulfill a campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.

Once White House officials knew Breyer’s retirement was likely imminent, they felt less pressure to ask emissaries to engage in conversations with the justice about stepping down at the end of this term, the people said.