Jim Clyburn Vouched For Clarence Thomas In 1991, Now He Wants To Add Four Justices To Compensate
Clyburn acknowledged regretting his support for Thomas in 1991 and said he backed increasing the Court to 13 justices.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYAbove the Law is an established legal-news publication with an identifiable author, but this piece is commentary rather than original, deeply sourced reporting. Its trade-press profile supports a moderate institutional credibility assessment.
- Source type — A recognizable legal trade publication, though not a newspaper of record.
- Author attribution — The article names its author.
- Editorial standards — The writing is clearly commentary and does not present itself as neutral reporting.
- Transparency — The article identifies the televised interview and includes Clyburn’s quoted remarks, but provides limited sourcing for some broader claims.
The piece quotes Clyburn directly and gives relevant background, but it is openly argumentative, relies on limited sourcing, and offers little space to competing views or counterarguments.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article reports Clyburn’s statements but frames the issue through a critical argument and does not present a substantive case against court expansion or responses from its opponents.
- Counterarguments presented — The article notes the possibility of future Republican expansion but does not give a fuller opposing rationale.
- Loaded language — Uses pointed, sarcastic language in its discussion of Thomas and Clyburn.
- Source diversity — Relies chiefly on Clyburn’s interview and the author’s commentary.
- Opinion vs reporting — The piece is commentary with a clear evaluative stance.
The article uses critical, approving language about progressive criticism of Thomas and court expansion, while presenting little argument in favor of the opposing position.
- Language tone — Uses dismissive and sharply critical phrasing about Thomas and Clyburn’s proposed remedy.
- Framing — Frames Clyburn’s support for expansion as a response to his past endorsement of Thomas.
- Source selection — Quotes Clyburn and references Democratic supporters, without presenting an opposing advocate’s perspective.
Jim Clyburn said he was wrong to support Clarence Thomas during his 1991 confirmation and endorsed expanding the Supreme Court from nine justices to 13. The article places his position in the context of broader Democratic support for court expansion and the possibility of future partisan escalation.
Clyburn said on “Meet the Press” that he regretted supporting Thomas during his 1991 confirmation, calling it a mistake. He also said Congress should take significant action and endorsed increasing the Court from nine justices to 13.
The article says the proposal originated with Kamala Harris and notes that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called court expansion “dramatic Supreme Court reform” that should be considered. It argues that expansion could lead to Republicans enlarging the Court further if they later control the House, Senate and White House.
Community verdict
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SWIPE →Representative who regretted his past support for Clarence Thomas and endorsed expanding the Supreme Court
House Minority Leader who has called for consideration of Supreme Court reform
Proposed expanding the Supreme Court to 13 justices
Part of a bigger story
8 OUTLETSOutlets agree that Clyburn says he regrets supporting Clarence Thomas’s 1991 Supreme Court confirmation and supports expanding the Court to 13 justices. Left-leaning outlets present court expansion and broader reforms as responses to the Court’s decisions, portraying Clyburn favorably. Center outlets report his changed view and explanation in restrained terms, with little opposing perspective. Right-leaning outlets mostly cast his remarks as judging Thomas through race or ideology, while Fox News also includes Republican senators’ defenses of Thomas.
- ARTICLES
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
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