Justice Thomas recalls why he wasn't friends with Alito in law school: 'Clarence, you were scary'

Video Clarence Thomas recalls funny conversation with Justice Alito about their time at Yale Thomas recounted the moment during an interview with Sen. Ted Cruz (Verdict with Ted Cruz).

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently recalled a funny conversation with Justice Samuel Alito about why they weren't friends during their time at Yale Law School.

When asked why they were never friends at the Ivy League institution, Alito told Thomas he was "scary."

Thomas sat down with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas , for a rare interview in which the pair discussed race, politics and a variety of other issues on an episode of the "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast, which aired Wednesday.

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U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito attend inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. During an appearance on the "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast, Thomas recalled that Alito called him "scary," when he asked his colleague why they were never friends while attending Yale Law School. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via REUTERS)

Thomas was talking about his Supreme Court colleagues when he noted that Alito attended Yale a year behind him.

"He was a year behind you. But you didn't know each other," Cruz said.

"He's a funny guy. He's brilliant. He was always nerdy. Princeton guy like you, right?" Thomas replied.

Thomas then recalled asking Alito about their time at the university: "So I said, 'Sam, how come we were there two years together? Why weren't we friends?'"

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The justice explained that he wore bib overalls and combat boots throughout law school. "I'm so glad they didn't have these phones where you could take a lot of pictures," he added.

During a Wednesday appearance on "The Will Cain Show," Cruz noted that Thomas was a "left-wing radical" in college before eventually embracing conservatism.

"He journeyed to become an extraordinary thinker," Cruz said. "No other justice has overcome so much adversity to reach the very pinnacle of American law ."