Story perspectives

Clarence Thomas Gains Opinion Power Amid Ethics Scrutiny

5/8/2026

Left

Thomas Defends Conservatism

Clarence Thomas praised limited government and attacked progressivism in a University of Texas speech that earned a standing ovation.
Rules let Justice Clarence Thomas, Court’s second-longest-serving justice, assign opinion authorship when joining a majority without Chief Justice John Roberts.
Thomas is criticized for undisclosed GOP-funded trips and his wife’s false 2020 election fraud claims.
His former clerks hold federal judgeships, widening his impact as the Court rolls back rights.

Right

Thomas Defends VRA

Justice Clarence Thomas, second-longest-serving justice, reiterated his view that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act does not govern districting.
The Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais, with Justice Samuel Alito authoring majority tightening Section 2 doctrine on racial districting.
Thomas’s seniority lets him assign opinion authorship when joining a majority without Chief Justice Roberts.
The ruling shows acceptance of Thomas’s view that Voting Rights Act should not dictate redistricting.

History

Historical Context

The Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965, outlawed literacy tests and required preclearance for jurisdictions with histories of discrimination. After the Court nullified the preclearance formula in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and weakened Section 2 in Brnovich (2021), the 2026 Louisiana v. Callais decision by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito further narrows Section 2’s reach.

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Thomas Defends Conservatism

Clarence Thomas praised limited government and attacked progressivism in a University of Texas speech that earned a standing ovation.
Rules let Justice Clarence Thomas, Court’s second-longest-serving justice, assign opinion authorship when joining a majority without Chief Justice John Roberts.
Thomas is criticized for undisclosed GOP-funded trips and his wife’s false 2020 election fraud claims.
His former clerks hold federal judgeships, widening his impact as the Court rolls back rights.

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