Mitch McConnell defends 'exemplary' Clarence Thomas from the left's 'clumsy bullying'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went after the left on Wednesday following a smattering of calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself in Capitol riot and 2020 election-related cases, Axios reports.
The "new and inappropriate pressure campaign," as McConnell referred to it, arrived after it was revealed that Thomas' wife repeatedly messaged then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to try and overturn the 2020 election. Now, some House progressives —like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — have even gone so far as to raise the possibility of impeachment.
"The left's quest to delegitimize the Supreme Court found its latest outlet," McConnell said on the Senate floor on Wednesday. "This time it's a coordinated effort to nullify the presence of Justice Clarence Thomas on the court."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The minority leader said Democrats are "dusting off their party's impeachment addiction," and engaging in "a tired old tactic" to request that justices recuse themselves over "spurious accusations about fake ethical problems or partiality."
It's a "well-worn pattern," McConnell claimed, and has "no basis in Justice Thomas' decades of impeccable service on the court."
"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 said.
McConnell first defended Thomas following initial reports of his wife's texts, The Hill notes.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
The new Gwada negative blood type
Under The Radar Rare discovery means a woman is the only person on the planet who's compatible solely with herself
-
June 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
'If smoke can affect health early in life, it also can affect life's end'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary