Justice Clarence Thomas has lamented the heightened security now required for members of the United States Supreme Court, saying it has become increasingly difficult for him to participate freely in activities outside the courthouse.
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Thomas made the remarks on Thursday while speaking to lawyers and judges at a conference organised by the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals outside Miami, Florida.
“The security concerns now are much different from the way they were when I first became a circuit justice,” Thomas said. “That’s really one of the big changes since I’ve been on the court, that it’s become very, very dicey.”
His comments come as the Supreme Court seeks millions of dollars in additional security funding from Congress amid rising physical and cyber threats against the judiciary.
Thomas, the most senior associate justice and a member of the court’s conservative wing, had made similar remarks earlier this year during an event at American University in Washington, where he appeared remotely instead of attending in person because of security concerns.
At the time, he said he did not want to “endanger anyone by my mere presence,” adding that the situation showed how far the country had gone “in the wrong direction.”
Judiciary officials have for years warned about a sharp rise in threats against federal judges and prosecutors. The danger became more pronounced for the Supreme Court in 2022 after an attempt was made to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh following the leak of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.
Thomas’ remarks at the conference were otherwise light and largely avoided controversy. He reflected on his early years on the Supreme Court, spoke about the importance of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and joked about his love for barbecue, particularly pulled pork.
He also briefly discussed his support for University of Nebraska sports, noting that he no longer attends games as often as he would like because of security restrictions.
“And as I said, because of the security concerns, I’m not able to move around as much as I used to,” he said.
Thomas, 77, has spent more than 34 years on the bench and recently became the second-longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history. If he remains on the court, he is expected to become the longest-serving justice in 2028.
He was interviewed at the event by his former clerk, Kasdin Mitchell, whom President Donald Trump recently nominated for a federal judgeship in Texas. When Mitchell repeatedly referenced his long service, Thomas laughed and quipped, “Thanks for letting me know that. You keep bringing that up.”
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