Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told his law clerks in the ’90s that he wanted to serve for 43 years to make liberals’ lives ‘miserable’

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas told his law clerks he intended to serve on the highest court of the land to make the lives of liberals “miserable,” according to a 1993 report from The New York Times. 

Thomas, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court in 1991 amid contentious confirmation hearings, resented the media coverage surrounding his appointment. Central to the hearings were accusations and testimony about alleged sexual harassment of one of his subordinates, Anita Hill, who accused the justice of repeated, unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate conduct in the workplace.

He was ultimately confirmed in a 52-48 vote. 

In a conversation with his law clerks two years following his confirmation, The New York Times reported Thomas expressed his desire to serve on the court until the year 2034. 

“The liberals made my life miserable for 43 years,” a former clerk remembered Thomas – who was 43 years old when confirmed – saying, according to The New York Times. “And I’m going to make their lives miserable for 43 years.”

Thomas, considered the most conservative justice on the court, joined the majority opinion on Friday which overturned federal abortion protections established in Roe v. Wade. In a concurring opinion, Thomas indicated he also believes the Supreme Court should “reconsider” decisions from the cases Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell, which established the federal right to use birth control and legalized same-sex activity and gay marriage, respectively.