Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas shared a humorous anecdote about his time at Yale Law School with Justice Samuel Alito. In a conversation with Sen. Ted Cruz on the ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz’ podcast, Thomas recounted why they weren’t friends during their academic years.

Clarence Thomas explained that when he asked Alito why they didn’t connect at Yale, Alito replied, saying Thomas was ‘scary.’ This amusing exchange was part of a broader discussion on race, politics, and other topics during the rare interview.

U.S. Supreme Court associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito attended inauguration ceremonies on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Justice Thomas noted that Alito was a year behind him at Yale. Despite this, they didn’t know each other. Cruz pointed out Alito’s academic background, remarking, ‘Princeton guy like you, right?’ Thomas replied, describing Alito as a funny and brilliant individual.

Thomas shared that he once asked Alito about their time at Yale, questioning why they hadn’t become friends, to which Alito responded, ‘Clarence, you were scary.’ Thomas attributed this perception to his choice of clothing, as he wore bib overalls and combat boots throughout law school. He expressed relief that smartphones weren’t around to capture images.

During ‘The Will Cain Show,’ Cruz mentioned that Thomas had started as a ‘left-wing radical’ in college before embracing conservative ideas. He lauded Thomas’s transformation into an exceptional thinker, emphasizing the justice’s ability to overcome remarkable adversity to achieve the pinnacle of American law.