Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas returned to the bench today after an unexplained absence that lasted an entire day. This sudden reappearance has left many people wondering what could have caused the 75-year-old justice to miss court in the first place.
Thomas took his usual seat next to Chief Justice John Roberts, as the court convened to hear arguments in a case related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist, attended then-President Donald Trump’s rally near the White House, but she did not participate in the subsequent riot or breach the Capitol grounds. In messages to Trump administration officials, Ginni Thomas repeatedly claimed that there was a shocking amount of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Liberal groups have asked Thomas to recuse himself from cases involving the Capitol riot, but he’s held his ground and stayed on the case.
On Monday, Chief Justice Roberts announced Thomas’ absence without providing any explanation, leaving the public in the dark. While justices occasionally miss court, they typically participate remotely. However, Thomas did not take part in Monday’s arguments at all.
This isn’t the first time Thomas has been absent from the court due to health concerns. Two years ago, he was hospitalized with an infection, causing him to miss several court sessions. Even then, he managed to participate in the cases remotely.
As the longest-serving current justice, having joined the Supreme Court in 1991, Thomas’ unexplained absence has raised concerns and left many eagerly awaiting further information about his well-being and the reasons behind his sudden disappearance from the bench.
Read more: Justice Clarence Thomas goes missing Monday
The Associated Press contributed to this article.