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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted calls from liberals Wednesday for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from cases related to the Capitol riot investigation or resign from the court, accusing them of “clumsy bullying.”
“The left’s quest to delegitimize the Supreme Court found its latest outlet,” McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor. “This time it’s a coordinated effort to nullify the presence of Justice Clarence Thomas on the court.”
McConnell dismissed arguments that Thomas should recuse himself or resign over texts sent by his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, which called for the overturning of the 2020 presidential election.
“It has no basis in Justice Thomas’ decades of impeccable service on the court. The justice and the entire court should feel free to completely ignore all this,” McConnell said.
“This clumsy bullying from the political branches is really beyond the pale. Justice Thomas is an exemplary jurist who has modeled fidelity to the rule of law for more than 30 years and counting,” he added.
Last week, reports revealed texts between Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and former aide to President Donald Trump, and then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the aftermath of Election Day.
“Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!!” she wrote in a Nov. 10, 2020, message. “You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History.”
In another message dated Nov. 5, 2020, Thomas wrote, “Do not concede.”
Justice Thomas has come under fire in light of the messages since he was the lone dissenting justice when the Supreme Court refused to block the release of a trove of documents that Trump fought to keep from the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot.
McConnell’s comments come just one day after far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) joined several of her colleagues in urging Thomas to step down.
“Clarence Thomas should resign,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
“If not, his failure to disclose income from right-wing organizations, recuse himself from matters involving his wife, and his vote to block the Jan 6th commission from key information must be investigated and could serve as grounds for impeachment,” she continued.
“Congress must understand that a failure to hold Clarence Thomas accountable sends a loud, dangerous signal to the full Court – [Brett] Kavanaugh, [Amy Coney] Barrett, & the rest – that his acts are fair game,” the “Squad” member added in a second tweet. “This is a tipping point. Inaction is a decision to erode and further delegitimize SCOTUS.”
Several other Democrats, including Reps. Veronica Escobar of Texas, Nydia Velazquez of New York and Hank Johnson of Georgia, have also called on the justice to resign.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) have only urged Thomas to recuse himself from further cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
In addition to McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) defended Thomas to reporters at House Republicans’ annual retreat in Florida last week.
“I think Justice Thomas could make his decisions like he’s made them every other time,” McCarthy said. “It’s his decision based upon law. If you spent any time studying this Supreme Court justice, he’s one who studies correctly, I mean, from all the way through. If he sees it’s not upholding the Constitution, he’ll rule against it. If it’s constitutional, that’s what his job should be — it’s him.”
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