McConnell: Push for Clarence Thomas to recuse himself is "inappropriate"

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday condemned calls by some Democrats for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to recuse himself amid revelations about his wife's activism, calling it a "new and inappropriate pressure campaign."

Driving the news: Recently revealed text messages sent by Ginni Thomas showed she repeatedly urged Donald Trump's then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to take measures to overturn the 2020 election results.

• While some Democrats have called on Thomas to recuse himself from Jan. 6 and 2020 election-related cases, House progressives have also raised the possibility of impeaching Thomas.

What they're saying: "The left's quest to delegitimize the Supreme Court found its latest outlet," McConnell said in remarks on the Senat floor. "This time it's a coordinated effort to nullify the presence of Justice Clarence Thomas on the Court."

• McConnell went on to claim that the calls were part of a "tired old tactic" by Democrats to ask various justices to recuse themselves over "spurious accusations about fake ethical problems or partiality."
• "This new and inappropriate pressure campaign is just a continuation of this well-worn pattern," he added.
• "It has no basis in Justice Thomas' decades of impeccable service on the court. The justice and the entire court should feel free to completely ignore all this."