Justice Clarence Thomas Hammers the Media: ‘I’ll Leave the Court When I Do My Job As Poorly As You Do Yours’

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas hammered the mainstream media during a recent event, stating he’d be willing to leave his seat on the court when his job performance was as bad as theirs.

Thomas, often a target of the liberal media, made his remarks at the Old Park conference on Friday.

The conversation had pivoted to racial inequality and the Supreme Court.

“One of the things I’d say in response to the media is when they talk about, especially early on, about the way I did my job, I said ‘I will absolutely leave the court when I do my job as poorly as you do yours,’” he recalled. “And that was meant as a compliment really.”

The audience erupted in laughter.

Watch this:

Clarence Thomas says he’s told the media for a long time that he’ll leave his job when he gets as bad at it as the media is at theirs. This is great: pic.twitter.com/mjh9ozaxuV

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 16, 2022

RELATED: Justice Clarence Thomas Pokes Fun at Cory ‘Spartacus’ Booker

Clarence Thomas Savages the Media

I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt – if that is the measuring stick, Justice Clarence Thomas isn’t going anywhere for a very, very long time.

A YouGov poll in 2021 shows Americans have the most favorable opinion of Thomas amongst all Supreme Court justices, with 37% approving of his performance, 33% not sure, and 30% disapproving.

Among Democrats, his approval that year sat at a mere 21% with 53% disapproving. Which, according to longstanding tradition in the media and Democrat Party, means they are racist.

His approval with Republicans was highest at 59%.

By contrast, the media’s approval rating has been cratering for years. In the United States, the nation with a free press as a bedrock, the media ranks last among 46 countries in trust.

The Biden White House is giving people a green light to threaten and intimidate Supreme Court Justices. It’s wrong.

We need to protect our institutions, our Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. pic.twitter.com/Y3fNZc5ORA

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 17, 2022

RELATED: AOC Calls To Impeach Clarence Thomas, The Only Black Supreme Court Justice

Media’s Hatred

The left-wing media has often criticized Justice Clarence Thomas by using racially-charged messaging, something they accuse right-of-center outlets of engaging in.

MSNBC anchor Joy Reid referred to Thomas as “Uncle Clarence,” an apparent reference to Uncle Tom.

Joy Reid with an absolutely disgusting comment about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas just now on MSNBC

“Do any of you guys trust Uncle Clarence…” pic.twitter.com/a0TLxmFfPY

— Jesse Hunt (@JJHunt10) November 4, 2020

The Washington Post, just this past February, had to issue a “clarification” after running a column that claimed Thomas’s rulings “resemble the thinking of White conservatives.”

How it started vs. How it’s going pic.twitter.com/ekqVsJkcz9

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) February 17, 2022

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin suggested Thomas “doesn’t really represent the Black community.”

.@Sunny Hostin: Clarence Thomas “doesn’t really represent the black community” pic.twitter.com/xDVnex4Whu

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 27, 2022

CNN’s Don Lemon asked if it was fair to consider the Supreme Court justice a “sellout” of the black community.

The latest disgusting and overtly racist attack from @donlemon: Asking if it’s “fair” to call Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas a “sellout.”

CNN isn’t a news organization. https://t.co/0YUBImtKtg

— NewsBusters (@newsbusters) September 18, 2021

Through it all, Clarence Thomas has handled the media’s racially-tinged criticism with wit and humor.

In 2018, he mocked Senator Cory Booker for his infamous staged ‘Spartacus’ moment, when the Democrat lawmaker threatened to release confidential documents during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, insisting that what he was doing was illegal, even though the committee had previously cleared the release of the papers.

“This is about the closest moment I will ever have in my life to an ‘I am Spartacus’ moment,” he declared, quite seriously.

“Honorable – if we could use that word about more people who are in public life, people who actually ask the questions at confirmation hearings, instead of ‘Spartacus,’” Thomas quipped.

From last week, Justice Clarence Thomas: “Honorable – if we could use that word about more people who are in public life, people who actually ask the questions at confirmation hearings, instead of ‘Spartacus’…”

Watch full @FedSoc conversation – 7pm ET on C-SPAN2 #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/PNgIofgvJC

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 12, 2018

Clarence Thomas is only the second black man to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. He is the longest-serving member of the Supreme Court, making him the most senior associate justice on the Court.

He has received the Francis Boyer award, an honor bestowed upon “individuals who have made exceptional practical or scholarly contributions to improved government policy and social welfare.”