Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently shared a humorous exchange he had with Justice Samuel Alito during their time at Yale Law School. In a conversation during the podcast ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz,’ Justice Thomas recalled asking Alito why they were never friends while attending the Ivy League school. Alito had responded by saying Thomas was ‘scary.’
The interview, held with Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, aired on Wednesday and covered topics ranging from race and politics to personal anecdotes. Cruz highlighted Thomas’s unique relationship with his Supreme Court peers.
Clarence Thomas discusses racial issues, stating, ‘Stay black and die.’
During the podcast, Thomas recalled that Alito was a year behind him at Yale. Despite their close proximity, the two never developed a friendship during their educational years. Describing Alito as ‘brilliant’ yet ‘nerdy,’ Thomas shared, ‘He was a funny guy. He was always nerdy. Princeton guy like you, right?’ referring to Cruz.
In a more detailed memory, Thomas recounted asking Alito directly why they never became friends during law school. Alito’s reply offered an unexpected insight—’Clarence, you were scary,’ he allegedly said.
Thomas added that he used to wear bib overalls and combat boots while attending law school, joking about the lack of social media at the time to capture those fashion choices.
Senator Cruz, who appeared on ‘The Will Cain Show’ the previous day, revealed that Thomas was considered a ‘left-wing radical’ during his college years, a phase before ultimately embracing conservative values. Cruz emphasized Thomas’s evolution, stating, ‘He journeyed to become an extraordinary thinker. No other justice has overcome so much adversity to reach the pinnacle of American law.’