Thomas slams talk of ‘packing’ high court
SALT LAKE CITY — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said he’s concerned efforts to politicize the court or add additional justices may erode the institution’s credibility, speaking in Utah at an event hosted by former Republican U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch’s foundation.
Thomas, the most senior justice on the nine-member court, said he often worries about the long-term repercussions of trends such as “cancel culture” and a lack of civil debate.
“You can cavalierly talk about packing or stacking the court. You can cavalierly talk about doing this or doing that. At some point, the institution is going to be compromised,” he told an audience of about 500 people attending Friday’s event at an upscale hotel in Salt Lake City.
“By doing this, you continue to chip away at the respect of the institutions that the next generation is going to need if they’re going to have civil society,” Thomas said.
Rulings this year will set laws on hot-button political issues, including abortion, guns and voting rights.
The court has leaned increasingly conservative since three justices nominated by former President Donald Trump joined its ranks. Progressives have in turn called to expand the number of justices on the court, including during the 2020 presidential primary. Democrats in Congress introduced a bill last year to add four justices to the bench, and President Joe Biden has convened a commission to study expanding the court.
Thomas, who grew up in Georgia during segregation, said he held civility as one of his highest values. He said he learned to respect institutions and debate civilly with those who disagreed with him during his years in school.
Based on conversations he’s had with students at his university lectures, he said he doesn’t believe colleges are now welcoming places for productive debate, particularly for students who support what he described as traditional families or oppose abortion.