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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold took a swipe at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife shortly after the Court ruled in former president Donald Trump's favor.
In an opinion issued Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Trump in the 14th Amendment challenge from Colorado, overturning the state's Supreme Court's decision that he was ineligible for the ballot because of his role in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The court's decision came just one day before the biggest primary day of the 2024 election cycle, Super Tuesday, when voters in 16 states—including Colorado—and one territory will cast their ballots.
Maine, one of the three states awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on the validity of Trump's candidacy, is also voting on Super Tuesday. Illinois will hold its primary on March 19.
Griswold, a Democrat, was asked during an MSNBC appearance after the ruling whether she thought the Supreme Court was partisan. She said that the court has "big issues," including Thomas' wife, Virginia "Ginni" Thomas.
"I think this court has had obviously some pretty big issues, whether it has been...Clarence Thomas's wife's role, gifts that have gone unreported, and there are some pretty big decisions that have come out of the court that I highly disagree with, and I think strip Americans of our basic human rights and fundamental freedoms," Griswold said.
Newsweek reached out to the Supreme Court and Griswold's office by email for comment.
Ginni Thomas came under scrutiny in 2022 after she said in an interview that she had briefly attended a rally in Washington, D.C., on January 6 before the Capitol riot unfolded, although she said she "played no role" in planning the event and left early.
Griswold went on to say that "we have to respect the court's decisions while disagreeing with them."
"Honestly, I think that's something that MAGA Republicans could take a lesson from," Griswold said. "It's OK to disagree with decisions and one another and not turn into violent rhetoric in attempts to steal elections. You win cases, you lose cases, just like elections.
"What we need Donald Trump to understand is that there are losers and winners in elections, and if you lose an election that does not mean it's stolen from you, and that does not give you the ability to incite an assault on the United States Capitol and the country," she added.
Update 03/04/24 6:38 p.m. ET: A quote in this article was updated for accuracy.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more