Trending Now - Clarence Thomas Approaches Milestone as Second Longest-serving Justice
WHO:
ABC News - Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
Newsweek - Clarence Thomas, 77 years old
WHAT:
AP News - Clarence Thomas has a tenure that tops 34 years, surpassing Justice Stephen J. Field, who served until 1897.
AP News - Thomas is the only justice with a longer tenure than him being liberal William O. Douglas.
AP News - Thomas is expected to overtake Douglas in 2028 if he remains on the court.
AP News - Thomas has been described as a "towering figure in the conservative legal movement" over the last decade.
AP News - Thomas has been scrutinized for accepting lavish, undisclosed trips from a GOP megadonor.
AP News - Thomas's wife has been involved in conservative political activism, including backing false claims about the 2020 election.
AP News - Thomas wrote a significant 2022 opinion affirming the right to carry a gun in public.
ABC News - Clarence Thomas is now the second longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history.
Newsweek - Thomas is closing in on a record as he approaches another milestone in his tenure.
WHERE:
ABC News - Supreme Court of the United States
WHEN:
Newsweek - Another record is in reach as 2028 politics loom.
WHY:
ABC News - Thomas overtook a justice who was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln.
HOW:
Newsweek - The article discusses the timing of Thomas's tenure in relation to upcoming political events.
(UPDATED May 7, 2026 19:32 UTC)
Clarence Thomas has reached a remarkable milestone, surpassing 34 years on the Supreme Court, making him the longest-serving justice since Stephen J. Field, who served until 1897. He is now the only justice with a longer tenure than liberal icon William O. Douglas, and if he remains on the court, he is expected to surpass Douglas in 2028. Over the last decade, Thomas has been recognized as a prominent figure in the conservative legal movement, though his tenure has not been without controversy, including scrutiny over accepting lavish trips from a GOP megadonor and his wife's involvement in conservative political activism.
--
(UPDATED May 7, 2026 13:32 UTC)
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has now become the second longest-serving justice in the history of the Supreme Court of the United States, overtaking a justice nominated by President Abraham Lincoln. As he approaches another milestone in his tenure, Thomas is closing in on a record, with 2028 politics looming on the horizon. The timing of his tenure is being discussed in relation to these upcoming political events.