Radio host Charlamagne Tha God referred to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas using a racial slur during an appearance on The Daily Show this week.
Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard McKelvey, made the remark during his recurring “In My Opinion” segment while discussing comments from Sen. Chris Coons about President Donald Trump and speculation over a possible third term.
“Mr. Coons’ is actually my nickname for Clarence Thomas,” Charlamagne said.
He then argued that Trump’s comments about remaining in office should not be treated as harmless jokes.
“Nope. Jokes about abusing power don’t hit as hard when you’re actually abusing power, okay?
”It’s like breaking out a whoopee cushion after you already shit your pants in the middle of a meeting. Nobody’s in the mood to laugh, okay?” he said.
Charlamagne went on to say that even if Trump is joking, repeated rhetoric can take on a life of its own.
“Even if Trump is kind of joking, he’s doing it in a way that’s becoming real,” he said.
Charlamagne Tha God continues The Daily Show’s recent history of saying Clarence Thomas is a race traitor. After a clip of Sen. Chris Coons, he says “This was confusing for me because ‘Mr. Coons’ is actually my nickname for Clarence Thomas.”pic.twitter.com/Q767KuyNW1
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) May 14, 2026
The comment marks the second time in recent weeks that The Daily Show has aired racially charged remarks directed at Thomas.
Last month, guest host Josh Johnson referred to the justice as an “Uncle Tom” while discussing a Supreme Court ruling involving congressional redistricting.
The Daily Show calls Clarence Thomas “Uncle Tom” after the SCOTUS ruling on racially-drawn districts. https://t.co/hD5B5rQiSP
— MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) May 1, 2026
Thomas was born into extreme poverty in segregated Pin Point, Georgia, where he was raised largely by his strict grandfather after his father left the family.
Growing up in Jim Crow, he briefly trained for the priesthood, then attended Holy Cross and Yale Law School.
He went on to serve in the Reagan administration, lead the EEOC, and sit on the powerful D.C. Circuit Court.
Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court in 1991 and survived an explosive confirmation battle in which Democrats attempted to discredit him with claims of sexual assault.
He has since become one of the most influential conservative justices in modern history.
