Supreme Court

Clarence Thomas Sets a New SCOTUS Record

Plus: A “supremely cringe” viral tweet about the Supreme Court.

Damon Root | 5.12.2026 7:00 AM

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Last week, Clarence Thomas became the second-longest serving justice in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. If he remains on the bench through 2028, he will surpass the Franklin D. Roosevelt-appointed William O. Douglas as the longest-serving justice of them all.

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Like it or not, Thomas will also go down in the books as one of the most influential justices in SCOTUS history. "In one big case after another, from the expansion of gun rights to the elimination of the constitutional right to abortion, Thomas' long-held views either commanded or inspired the majority of the Court." I wrote those words about the Supreme Court's 2021–2022 term, which included such momentous decisions as New York State Rifle and Pistol........

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