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.’

By Alec Dent

Feb 4, 2022

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.”

.@SenSchumer: "Until 1981, this powerful body, the Supreme Court, was all White men. Imagine. America wasn't all White men in 1981, or ever. Under President Biden and this Senate majority, we're taking historic steps to make the courts look more like the country they serve." pic.twitter.com/PrEjoLrmPH
— The Hill (@thehill) February 3, 2022

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.”

Sorry that I misspoke earlier today. Of course, I remember the dedication and legal excellence that Thurgood Marshall brought to the Supreme Court.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 3, 2022

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