Will Clarence Thomas Be Forced Off the Supreme Court Over Wife's Activism?

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is facing calls to recuse himself from 2020 election cases or step down from the court amid accusations of a conflict of interest. What will he do?

Ginni Thomas, the justice's wife, reportedly texted former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff in the weeks between the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, urging him to try to overturn the vote. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) argued that based on this revelation and purported conflict of interest, Thomas should resign or face impeachment.

Some Democrats call for Thomas to recuse himself from hearing cases related to the Capitol riot; others, such as President Joe Biden and House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, say it's up to Thomas to recuse himself. Some Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have defended Thomas's right to decide whether he should recuse himself.

Many voices on the left call for Thomas to recuse himself over the purportedly clear conflict of interest in order to maintain the court's integrity and public image. One writer for New York Times Opinion argued that Thomas and his wife created "the appearance of extreme bias" on the court, and that he would "do the country a service by stepping down." Other voices across the media spectrum, especially on the right, are less opinionated about what Thomas should do, and frame resignation or impeachment as unlikely.