The media love to hate Justice Clarence Thomas.
This has been true since before he even joined the nation’s highest court in 1991. His confirmation hearings were not unlike Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s in that both were marred by eleventh-hour, unsubstantiated accusations of sexual misconduct. Still, Thomas is the most conservative member of the court. That alone makes him subject to ludicrous criticism. He’s even been called “Uncle Tom.” The insults he receives are plenty and egregious.
Now, Thomas’s wife, Ginni, has made headlines of her own. These reveal Ginni Thomas’s extraordinarily poor judgment as the wife of a high-profile government officer. Text messages obtained by the Jan. 6 committee show Thomas texted former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on multiple occasions. Among other things, Thomas claimed that the 2020 election was stolen, that Vice President Mike Pence was wrong for allowing the certification, and that Sidney Powell should “release the kraken.” Thomas’s texts are nothing short of partisan delusion.
But they offer no proof that Ginni Thomas’s husband is guilty by association.
In an interview with the Washington Free Beacon in mid-March, Ginni Thomas said, “Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America. But we have our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions too. Clarence doesn’t discuss his work with me, and I don’t involve him in my work.”
Ginni Thomas let her husband down. He is a Supreme Court justice. Like it or not, the spotlight is on this couple in ways unimaginable to regular citizens. For that reason alone, Ginni Thomas should always proceed carefully in her professional and private dealings. Again, however, her lack of common sense in no way reflects upon her husband’s ability to do his job.
There should be discussions about whether Thomas must recuse himself from cases involving Jan. 6 and/or his wife’s texts. But painting him as a participant in her activities or sympathetic to her wild claims is nothing more than speculation. We don’t know what Thomas thinks of his wife’s behavior. But like all married couples, this is still true: They are unique people.
Assuming the justice was influenced by or subscribes to his wife’s opinions is wishful thinking. That’s especially true for a media so anxious to find fault with the second black man ever to serve on the Supreme Court.
The ultimate truth is that former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Attempts to stop the certification or turn back the results were futile, foolish, and damaging to our democracy. Ginni Thomas joined in with that crowd. She alone is responsible for her wildly irrational behavior. And a media that loves to find fault with Justice Clarence Thomas will use anything against him.
It’s a ridiculous effort on their part to stain his good name.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
