Following the leaked draft opinion that suggests the Supreme Court will return abortion policy to the states, Justice Clarence Thomas said that conservative justices will not be intimidated by leftist pressure and mob tactics. The longtime conservative justice added his belief that society has become addicted to preferred outcomes.
As a society, “we are becoming addicted to wanting particular outcomes, not living with the outcomes we don’t like,” Thomas said, according to Reuters. “We can’t be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want. The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that.”
Thomas delivered the remarks at the 11th Circuit judicial conference in Atlanta this week, though he did not focus on the topic for very long, only mentioning it in passing.
While attending the same conference, Chief Justice John Roberts called the leak “absolutely appalling” and affirmed his commitment to conducting a thorough investigation. Roberts, in agreement with Clarence Thomas, went on to say that the court’s potential abortion ruling would not be influenced by pushback.
“A leak of this stature is absolutely appalling,” Roberts said. “If the person behind it thinks that it will affect our work, that’s just foolish.”
In response to the leak, leftist organizations and politicians have called for nationwide pro-abortion demonstrations to take place on Sunday.
The far-left group “Ruth Sent Us” has instructed its followers to protest outside Catholic churches on Mother’s Day, taking issue with the court’s Catholic members. The group has also called for demonstrations outside the homes of conservative justices in the D.C. area.
Chief Justice Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the document but called it preliminary. The court is due to issue its ruling in the case by the end of June.
