Pence condemns 'appalling' attacks on 'principled jurist' Clarence Thomas

Emily Jacobs

May 07, 01:21 AM May 07, 01:21 AM

Former Vice President Mike Pence decried what he called "malicious" attacks against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as he faces increased scrutiny over his relationship with a billionaire GOP megadonor.

Pence wrote a Twitter thread on Saturday vowing to stand behind the embattled associate justice amid a flurry of criticism over reports that Harlan Crow, the donor in question, covered the costs of luxury vacations and purchased property from Thomas's family. He also paid the private school tuition for the justice’s grandnephew, who Thomas once said he raised “as a son.” Thomas didn’t disclose any of these payments, purchases, or trips.

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"Ever since his nomination to the Supreme Court in 1991 Justice Thomas has been maliciously attacked by the Left, including by then Sen. Joe Biden," Pence said. "The attacks on his character are continuing today, and it’s appalling to see. I stand with Justice Clarence Thomas and call on every American to join me in defending this good man and principled jurist."

The former vice president went on to defend the Supreme Court justice as "a man of integrity with an inspiring personal story and has upheld the ideals enshrined in our Constitution throughout his life without compromise." He also included a link to My Grandfather's Son, Thomas's 2007 bestselling memoir.

Lawmakers have largely stuck to party lines on the Thomas controversy, with Democrats up in arms over the undisclosed transactions and Republicans standing by the conservative justice.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL), who is known for being reserved in his criticisms of the nation's highest court, has vowed to take some type of action on to the Thomas matter. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) who also serves on the influential panel, went as far as to call on the Justice Department to investigate Thomas over the Crow relationship.

On the Republican side, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the Judiciary Committee's ranking member, decried what he called "a concentrated effort by the Left to delegitimize the court and to cherry-pick examples to make a point" at the hearing. He also accused Democrats of trying to "destroy" Thomas's reputation. Later on, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) displayed posters of news headlines about Thomas from left-wing publications and argued that these outlets had created "racist caricatures" of the justice.

Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation last week that would implement a stricter ethics code on Supreme Court justices. Whether it could pass with a 60 vote filibuster-proof majority is unclear. As is its fate in the House.

Mike Pence reveals what he think is his greatest strength if he runs in 2024

Asher Notheis

March 04, 03:48 PM March 04, 03:48 PM

Former Vice President Mike Pence has revealed what he thinks is his greatest strength if he chooses to run for president in the 2024 election.

Pence, who served as vice president under former President Donald Trump, argued that his advantage in a hypothetical 2024 run is that he thinks "the American people know the Pences," according to an interview he did with WHD News Digital.

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"By and large, they know our story and our career, and some are getting to know it better every day," Pence said. "So, we think we have time to be discerning, to be reflective, to listen."

Pence added that he and his wife, former second lady Karen Pence, "both believe that we’ll have a clear sense of our call this spring."

The former vice president discussed his 2024 advantage during a donor retreat hosted by the conservative group the Club for Growth. During a speech Pence made at the event, he argued that "Republicans and conservatives cannot abandon our commitment to fiscal responsibility and reform, and that includes commonsense reforms to Social Security and Medicare."

The topic of reforming Social Security and Medicare has become divisive within the GOP, with Trump warning Republicans to avoid getting involved with adjusting the programs.

The White House race currently has three major candidates among the Republicans: Trump, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Pence avoided backing his former boss when asked about it on Wednesday, saying, "I think we'll have better choices."

As of Saturday, President Joe Biden has not made an official announcement yet on if he will seek reelection. Liberal Democrat Marianne Williamson announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Saturday with an attack on the U.S. economic system.