Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently shared a lighthearted exchange with Justice Samuel Alito about their time at Yale Law School. Despite both attending the Ivy League institution, they were not friends during that period. Alito humorously explained to Thomas that he found him ‘scary’ back then.
This conversation took place during a rare interview with Senator Ted Cruz on the “Verdict with Ted Cruz” podcast. The episode, which aired on Wednesday, covered topics such as race, politics, and more.
U.S. Supreme Court associate justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito attend inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via Reuters)
During the podcast, Thomas mentioned his colleagues in the Supreme Court and noted that Alito, who attended Yale a year after him, was not known to him during their time there. Cruz remarked on Alito’s intellect and humor, while Thomas pointed out their common Ivy League background.
Thomas recounted asking Alito why they were not friends at Yale despite being there together for two years. Alito replied, ‘Clarence, you were scary,’ which Thomas attributed to his attire of bib overalls and combat boots. Thomas expressed relief that smartphones, which might have captured those moments, were not prevalent back then.
On “The Will Cain Show,” Cruz commented on Thomas’s transformation from a ‘left-wing radical’ in college to a conservative thinker. Cruz praised Thomas as an extraordinary thinker who overcame significant challenges to achieve success in American law.
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