Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed the Supreme Court was made up of "all white men" until 1981.
.@SenSchumer: "Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all White men. Imagine. America wasn't all White men in 1981, or ever. Under President Biden and this Senate majority, we're taking historic steps to make the courts look more like the country they serve." pic.twitter.com/PrEjoLrmPH
— The Hill (@thehill) February 3, 2022
But that claim is incorrect. Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the Court in 1967 by President Lyndon Johnson.
Whoever wrote this speech is in deep trouble. Thurgood Marshall was appointed in 1967, the first ever African American justice. https://t.co/W98VwnRE5W
— Garrett Ventry (@GarrettVentry) February 3, 2022
More on Marshall's appointment:
In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Marshall to the office of U.S. Solicitor General. Before his subsequent nomination to the United States Supreme Court in 1967, Thurgood Marshall won 14 of the 19 cases he argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of the government. Indeed, Thurgood Marshall represented and won more cases before the United States Supreme Court than any other American.
Schumer seems to have realized the omission and attempted a correction.
Sorry that I misspoke earlier today. Of course, I remember the dedication and legal excellence that Thurgood Marshall brought to the Supreme Court.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 3, 2022
While Schumer botched a major fact about Supreme Court history, others are pointing out his previous efforts to stop minorities from sitting on the bench.
Incredible that he can say this with a straight face after he and President Biden both led blockades against Miguel Estrada and Janice Rogers Brown so they would never serve on the Supreme Court. https://t.co/r9oExrv70F
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) February 3, 2022