Justice Thomas pushes back against the idea that race dictates politics

During a recorded interview for the "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast, Justice Clarence Thomas, the second-longest-serving Black justice on the Supreme Court, asserted that he does not owe anyone a prescribed political stance because of his race. He labeled the belief that Black Americans should be liberal as a deterministic view that confuses him with someone in "indentured servitude." Thomas recounted how his grandfather's modest background and his own religious awakening shaped his conservative outlook.

He recalled a 1970 anti-war demonstration at Harvard Square that he now sees as a pivotal moment that led him to seek divine guidance. The dialogue took place at a book-release event for Senator Ted Cruz's biography of Thomas, where Cruz praised the justice for defending him against past attacks. Thomas also mentioned friends in the Senate, including Mike Lee, and thanked Cruz for support during controversies involving his wife and gifts from wealthy donors.