Stephen Colbert unravels Clarence Thomas' connections to wealthy donors
By Matt Moore
Stephen Colbert's monologue on Wednesday night passed judgment on Clarence Thomas. The Late Show host examined how the Supreme Court justice is intertwined with wealthy conservative donors.
Judge Thomas has been in the news often in 2023, but not for any rulings he's made in the nation's highest court. Instead, questions about his relationships with wealthy donors and the alleged benefits he's received have embroiled Thomas in controversy. As Colbert put it, Thomas is getting attention "for all the free stuff he's hiding under that robe."
The scandal continued when reports found billionaires have given Thomas luxury vacations, trips on private jets and yachts, and even bought his mother's house while she remained a resident.
Colbert's monologue then pointed to a story reporting that in 2000, Thomas hinted to a GOP lawmaker that he would resign from the Supreme Court if he didn't get a pay raise. The justice didn't get that salary bump, but instead allegedly found himself on the receiving end of a stream of gifts and experiences from wealthy Republican donors.
"Keep in mind, at the time, Thomas's salary was $173,600," Colbert said. "Equivalent to over $300,000 today. Now, that sounds like it should be enough to live on," he deadpanned, cutting the punchline there.
Surprisingly, the Late Show host didn't spend too much time reacting to the latest developments in the Clarence Thomas scandal. Instead, Colbert's monologue made the host sound anything but shocked. It's all par for the course, apparently, as The Late Show continues to call out what it sees as hypocrisy and corruption.