Fact Check: Chuck Schumer Misspeaks About the Composition of the Court
He said, ‘Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all white men.’
 |
On Thursday, Sen. Chuck Schumer gave a speech on the Senate floor in which he claimed that “Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all white men.”
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, with President Ronald Reagan nominating her in 1981. The Senate confirmed her nomination with a 99-0 vote on September 21, 1981. While O’Connor was the first woman to serve on the court, Schumer erred in saying that before her confirmation the court was “all white men.” President Lydon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall in 1967, and Marshall became the first black Supreme Court justice after the Senate confirmed him in a 69-11 vote.
Schumer later walked back his comments, tweeting that he “misspoke.”
If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.
I don't think this is a huge deal but that tweet from Schumer is pretty funny for obvious reasons. Of course, he remembers Thurgood Marshall....except when he clearly did not remember during his speech on the senate floor.
Heh was gonna say, Thurgood Marshall was kindof a big deal.