Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, 75, sparked raised eyebrows over his whereabouts when he was absent during oral arguments on Monday, and the Court provided no explanation.
Chief Justice John Roberts addressed Thomas’ lack of presence, according to NBC News’ Lawrence Hurley, saying that Thomas “is not on the bench today” but would “participate fully” in the two cases being argued based on the briefs and transcripts.
“Context that may or may not be helpful: In the recent past, Justice Thomas phoned into oral arguments when he couldn’t attend in person, allowing him to ask questions remotely. He isn’t doing so this time,” wrote Slate reporter Mark Joseph Stern on X, formerly Twitter.
He’s taken the next logical step from “Napping through Oral Arguments” and is now skipping the actual hearings entirely.
He’ll show up for five minutes to tell his clerks how to write their opinions, then catch the next flight out to a Bohemian Grove. Unless someone smuggles a syphilitic child into the old people Adrenochrome orgy, dude is going to live for another 70 years.