During a judicial conference on Friday, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas addressed the threats and harassment he and his wife have received in recent years, ultimately describing the nation’s capital as a “hideous place.”
Thomas addressed a conference that was attended by judges, attorneys, and other court personnel within the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, which oversees federal cases in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. His remarks came in response to a question about accomplishing work in an increasingly polarized country, as reported by Newsmax.
“I think there’s challenges to that. We’re in a world and we — certainly my wife and I the last two or three years it’s been — just the nastiness and the lies, it’s just incredible,” Thomas said. “But you have some choices. You don’t get to prevent people from doing horrible things or saying horrible things. But one you have to understand and accept the fact that they can’t change you unless you permit that,” Thomas added.
The veteran conservative justice has been the focus of campaigns by the left aiming to pressure him into resigning from the Supreme Court. Thomas has been criticized for allegedly accepting luxury trips from a wealthy donor without disclosing them, a claim that has drawn persistent scrutiny from the left. It’s noteworthy that Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has faced similar accusations. It’s also noteworthy to point out that the justices are not required to disclose such things.
During the conference, Thomas was asked questions by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a former law clerk for Thomas who was later appointed to the federal bench. Thomas revealed that he increasingly dislikes Washington D.C. where the longest-serving justice has lived for decades since his appointment by President George H. W. Bush.
“I think what you are going to find and especially in Washington, people pride themselves on being awful. It is a hideous place as far as I’m concerned,” Thomas said, adding that he and his wife have spent far less time in the city in recent years. “You get to be around regular people who pride themselves in doing harmful things, merely because they have the capacity to do it or because they disagree,” Thomas added.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.