While all eyes are on Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, something very serious appears to be going on with Justice Clarence Thomas, who has been in the hospital since last Friday.
Related: Sen. Marsha Blackburn embarrasses herself on Twitter with failed American civics lesson
Yesterday, the Supreme Court wouldn’t say whether the 73-year-old, who was appointed former President George H.W. Bush in 1991, was still in the hospital for “flu-like symptoms” after it was previously reported that he would be released earlier in the week.
The AP reports:
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The court said Sunday that Thomas had been admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington on Friday after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” and he was diagnosed with an infection. His “symptoms are abating,” and he was expected to be released Monday or Tuesday, the court said in a statement at the time. But on Wednesday morning, court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said she had no update to provide.
The court heard arguments Wednesday morning and Chief Justice John Roberts said, as he has for the past two days, that while Thomas was not present he would participate in the case by reviewing the arguments’ transcript and briefs. Roberts said Thomas was “unable to be present today” without explanation.
It’s also not totally clear what exactly is going on with Thomas, who dissented in both the Obergefell case, which made marriage equality the law of the land, and Lawrence v. Texas, the decision that struck down a Texas law banning gay sex. All the court has said is that he doesn’t have COVID-19.
Related: Brett Kavanaugh is probably going to start crying again when he sees why he’s trending on Twitter
Reports of his failing health come at the same time his wife, Ginni, has come under scrutiny for her extreme far-right activism, including her involvement with several anti-LGBTQ hate groups, her attendance at the January 6 “Stop the Steal” rally outside of the White House, and donations she made to politicians that present “concerns about potential conflicts of interest for her husband.”
Related: Clarence Thomas’ wife’s decades of atrocious behavior is finally catching up to her
Since 2018, Thomas has been the senior associate justice, the longest-serving member of the Supreme Court, with a tenure of 30 years.
Here’s what folx on Twitter are saying about the whole thing…
Clarence Thomas has been in the hospital for six days and we don’t know what’s going on with him.
— ??Imani Gandy?? (@AngryBlackLady) March 24, 2022
The Supreme Court absolutely should disclose whether Clarence Thomas is still in the hospital. Of course the public has a right to know…he is missing Supreme Court arguments.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) March 24, 2022
Why all the radio silence about Clarence Thomas? He has been in the hospital since last Friday with “flu-like” symptoms unable to participate even virtually in SCOTUS arguments. Anyone else read Stacey Abrams “While Justice Sleeps”?
— Barbara Malmet (@B52Malmet) March 24, 2022
Thoughts and prayers continue for Clarence Thomas. So grateful I can’t be arrested for thoughts.
— Duty To Warn ? (@duty2warn) March 24, 2022
Good morning. Where's Clarence Thomas? pic.twitter.com/d7DkbP1J6m
— Rick Havoc (@RikHavic) March 24, 2022
The government is hiding the fact that a tapeworm has been making Clarence Thomas’s decisions for decades.
— Vinny Thomas (@vinn_ayy) March 24, 2022
When Clarence Thomas retires to spend more time with his insurrectionist wife, Biden should nominate an Asian woman to the SCOTUS. There are so many great choices.
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) March 24, 2022
No, they can't pretend like Clarence Thomas is alive until Biden is out of office. Y'all are silly.
— I Smoked The New World Order (@BlackKnight10k) March 24, 2022
I sure hope Clarence Thomas is being treated by a qualified YouTube doctor with six views..
— ????????????????? (@geargodd) March 24, 2022
Clarence Thomas health concerns will be the only time you see Republicans worry about a black man’s recovery.
— ???? ???? (@antifaoperative) March 23, 2022
Clarence Thomas has missed his third day of arguments. He’s apparently not even well enough to attend via Zoom. Don’t we have a right to know just what the heck is goin’ on?
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) March 23, 2022
If Justice Clarence Thomas doesn’t make it, we should respectfully wait as long as Republicans did when they replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
— Mayo ??? (@MayoIsSpicyy) March 23, 2022
While you’re here, watch the trailer for the 2016 HBO film Confirmation about Thomas’ dramatic 1991 confirmation hearing starring Wendell Pierce as Thomas and Kerry Washington as Anita Hill, his former employee who claimed he sexually harassed her.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Cam
You don’t go to the hospital for “Mild flu-like symptoms” and you definitely don’t get intravenous anti-biotics for something mild.
People can get sent home after a day or so even after a heart attack, sounds like something serious. Then again, Thomas’s wife was just exposed as helping to fund and attending the violent treasonous attack on the U.S. Capitol and he was exposed as trying to block the Jan. 6th committee from being able to get evidence on it. So this could be a good way for Thomas to bow out gracefully without the embarrassment of being forced to resign.
The Accidental Polemicist
Retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has stated that fellow Justice Clarence Thomas is “fine.”
Cam
You mean when TMZ caught him outside of a restaurant and he parroted what the court media people said?
MarcyMayer
I saw a video of Justice Breyer and he said he visited him in the hospital and he’ll be back on the job soon.
If Justice Thomas does eventually retire, let’s hope it’s after the Red Wave in November so the Republicans in the Senate can block ALL of Biden’s picks for the Supreme Court.
Bwahaha!!!
Fname Optional Lname
“Bwahaha!!! ” seems to be a running catch phrase. I guess if you’re a 9 year old that might seem humorous or appealing.
202gay.com
He was just feigning illness, that’s obvious.
Polaro
Perhaps, he should consider retiring. I mean, I’m only think of his best interests. He’s done enough in service of the nation. Some might say too much, but that would be mean…
MarcyMayer
If Justice Thomas does eventually retire, let’s hope it’s after the Red Wave in November so the Republicans in the Senate can block ALL of Biden’s picks for the Supreme Court.
ZzBomb
Boy it would be nice if Biden were to get another SCOTUS nominee and re-balance the court to keep the radical right at bay.
Polaro
We agree!
ZzBomb
@P Stay in your lane.
MarcyMayer
If Justice Thomas does eventually retire, let’s hope it’s after the Red Wave in November so the Republicans in the Senate can block ALL of Biden’s picks for the Supreme Court.
Bwahaha!!!
Ronbo
I’d love, Love, LOVE to see Uncle Thomas replaced with a black man who represents justice for all – including minorities and the poor. If we are going to play ‘identity politics’, let’s stop playing with rare and unrepresentative exceptions to the rule like Thomas.
Anyone notice that President Obama’s candidate, Merrick Garland, now Attorney General, has refused to prosecute tRump for his many, many violations of the law? Better to prosecute and fail than to to endorse by proxy. We gotta stop pre-compromising to please Republicans. They just move further right.
The Accidental Polemicist
@Ronbo
“They just move further right.”
In what way? I’d love to hear, by example, how the Republican party has moved right.
Considering that Democratic icon, John F. Kennedy, would not even be able to get the Democratic nomination in today’s party.
Cam
@The Accidental Polemicist
As always your trolling is sad and weak.
Fahd
Ronbo is definitely a Russian troll seeking to seed discord and spreading Russian disinformation and propaganda. It’s all bullsh*t, and it is beginning to look pretty much like Accident may be a fellow Russky.
Russia, stop killing innocent people and stop enslaving your population in a propaganda bubble.
inbama
@Fahd
I’ve yet to see the disinformation except from YOU.
There is nothing wrong with gays and lesbians putting the interests of gays and lesbians FIRST.
Every study shows that 70 to 80 percent of kids with Childhood Gender Dysphoria are not “trans kids” but “gay and lesbian kids.” Problem is, no one dcan really understand their sexual orientation until their brain becomes sexualized at puberty. Put these effeminate boys and butch girls on so-called puberty blockers, and they will never come to know themselves. Gays and lesbians need to speak up for our younger brothers and sisters whether you like it or not.
MarcyMayer
Don’t fret.
After the Red Wave in November, the Republicans in the House will investigate Biden and impeach him. Tit for tat.
MarcyMayer
The Accidental Polemicist:
John F. Kennedy: Who opposed abortion, homosexuality, big government, high taxes, etc.. Is that the JFK we’re referring to?
MarcyMayer
Cam:
As always your trolling is sad and weak.
downtoearth
@Ronbo:
Racist much?
You might want to reread your post.
Ronbo
How have the Republicans moved further right? Remember the 1993 Republican alternative floated as the alternative to single-payer? President Obama’s ACA is THAT Republican plan. Search: “Summary Of A 1993 Republican Health Reform Plan” and KHN. Not a single Republican Senator voted for their OWN exact plan.
Are black people calling him “Uncle Thomas” racist – or is it just me, a multi-racial person?
The Accidental Polemicist
@Ronbo
First of all, you had to go back 29 years for an example!!!
Second, there were two Democratic co-sponsors.
Third, you use this as example of the party moving further right? Wrong! It is an example of the Republican party advocating a bill to expand the roll of the government – a move to the left. Exactly what the Republican party and the right does NOT stand for.
Fourth, it is no wonder the Republicans didn’t vote for it! This was a bill in response to President Clinton’s bill which was far more expansive.
Fifth, thank you for making my point.
Absolutely pathetic.
The Accidental Polemicist
@Cam
“As always your trolling is sad and weak.”
As always you can’t respond to my question.
whereshouldistart
Maybe he choked on a pubic hair he accidentally left on his can of Coke.
Max
or cumulative ingestion has created a nice dense clog?
The Accidental Polemicist
@whereshouldistart
Democrats are never afraid to lie and slander someone.
MarcyMayer
How about you and I looking at Hunter’s laptop, which everyone now agrees is NOT Russian disinformation.
sfhairy
Lets all chant together, die, die, die.
MarcyMayer
After the Red Wave in November, Biden will be impeached.
Bwahaha!
Brian
I’m with you, hoping for the worst.
When I lived in DC, I once took a day off of work so that I could sit in the Supreme Court. It was one of the most spectacular touristy things I’ve ever done. You could feel the weight of the seriousness in the room. And of course the building is filled with murals and sculptures and historical stuff that must be priceless. …Justice Thomas slept the entire time. He slouched forward onto his desk, face fully onto the microphone, and snored. Snored, and snored, and snored. He missed everything. Nobody nudged him. Nobody asked for a recess. (You can’t tell a justice what to do. They’re literally “supreme.”) So he slept through it all, and I guess eventually he must’ve asked his staff or clerks or his friends which way to rule on all of that day’s cases.
The Accidental Polemicist
@sfhairy
“Lets all chant together, die, die, die.”
That must be an example of all the peace, love, tolerance and compassion I hear the left talk so much about.
Bonerboy
@The Accidental Polemicist Oh, not longer. We will fight and kill if we have to to protect our democracy from the evil of people like Thomas and yourself.
The Accidental Polemicist
@Bonerboy
So Justice Thomas and I are evil? That is a strong accusation. I want to give you the opportunity to back up your words. Please explain what the Justice and I have said or done to warrant such an accusation.
James
I hate clarence thomas too. What an ugly old uptight bore. He has never done anything for gay people at all. THOSE WHO SUPPORT HIM OR FEEL SORRY FOR HIM ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS. So fuk off Thomas supporters, you are losers.
woodroad34
Ginny Thomas caught being an insurrectionist and Long Dong Silver goes into hiding…hmmm nothing suspicious about that.
Jim
He’s scared sick because he and his wife’s complacency in the January insurrection is becoming known.
Cam
As always, the right wing troll brought in 3 of it’s screenames to deflect from Clarence Thomas committing illegal obstruction of Justice to protect his wife from being discovered as a seditionist.
Ronbo
Cam and Fahid, It might make you feels good or empowered to lie; but, it’s just wrong. The intent of your lying seems to be a desire to drive people away. It’s a form of exclusion (opposite of inclusion) by driving people away with harsh rhetoric and lies. Inclusion encourages the bigot to go through the various stages of death – the death of their bigotry.
Help people to evlove and move towards us by giving them the opportunity to vent – it’s part of the healing process. How do I KNOW? My generation knew AIDS. The suicide rate killed even more. We are the surviving. As family, we owe it to the dead to repeat SILENCE=DEATH and HATE IS NOT A FAMILY VALUE. Far too many families never knew their child was LGBT.
Think of those people who are on their path towards us. They may harbor anger because they are angry. I’ve been to dozens and dozens of funerals and known and talked to THESE people hundreds of times. Compassion will win them, if encouraged. Anger will only harden their hatred.
Mr. Stadnick
Perhaps he is just trying to get away from that harridan of a wife for a while.
Diogenes
I wish him a quick retirement from the court. Though not his death, I can’t bring myself to wish anyone dead. Even Putin.
AZ71
Pretty sure its Covid and no one is saying anything. Hopefully he will resign from the court in lieu of all the issues with his wife. And at the very least, the House should start impeachment proceedings regardless if the Senate will dismiss him. Its the point that he did something wrong as a SCOTUS member by not recusing himself.
The Accidental Polemicist
@AZ71
And what specifically did Justice Thomas do or say that warrants “impeachment proceedings”?