Dems Have 'Special' Hate For Justice Thomas: Ted Cruz

Democrats "save a special degree of hate" for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas because as a Black man, he is "not allowed to disagree with left-wing orthodoxy," Sen. Ted Cruz said Sunday. 

"He's been one of the greatest Supreme Court justices ever to serve on the court," the Texas Republican told Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures" host Maria Bartiromo. "He has been a principled constitutionalist, and the left despises him."

Thomas has come under fire in recent weeks from the left, including with reports from CNN that a company related to GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, who had paid for trips for Thomas and his wife, had business before the Supreme Court in the mid-2000s. 

"Justice Antonin Scalia, who I knew well, was every bit as conservative as Justice Thomas," said Cruz. "The left didn't heap that kind of contempt on Justice Scalia. Justice Thomas, they view as a traitor because he is African-American. He's an extraordinary justice."

And as for Thomas' trips, cited in an ethics complaint with the court, all of the justices take trips nationally and internationally that are funded by others, said Cruz. 

These include "liberal icons," like the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Sonia Sotomayor, but "the media, all the Democrats who are attacking Justice Thomas, they don't care at all," said Cruz.

That's because they are "not looking at any of the Democratic judges," he added. "This is a political smear job directed at Clarence Thomas because he is an extraordinary constitutionalist and the left hates him for it."

Meanwhile, Justice Samuel Alito says he believes he knows who leaked the draft of the court's Dobbs decision, which overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion, and Cruz said it's surprising that the identity of the leaker hasn't been announced. 

"We need to know," he said. "The leaking of that draft was one of the great violations of the trust, of the integrity of the Supreme Court of the United States. It was an assault on the rule of law, and if they think they know, the court needs to redouble the investigation."

Alito has said he doesn't have enough evidence, Cruz added. 

The continued mystery means Chief Justice John Roberts should call in the FBI to assist with the investigation, the senator said. 

"The marshal's office conducted the investigation," Cruz said. "The marshal's office are very good people, but they don't have the equipment, the experience…the FBI does. Now, the court was reluctant to do that for separation of powers reasons. You don't generally invite another branch of government into a coordinate branch, but given the severity here what I would encourage the chief justice to do is invite the FBI to work cooperatively with the marshals."

And, he added, the guilty party should go to jail, and if that person is a member of the bar, he or she should be disbarred, "and the public has a right to know."

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