Americans of faith have ample reason to thank Alito and Thomas
by Timothy S. Goeglein · The Washington TimesOPINION:
In recent weeks, two books have been released on two of the most influential originalist Supreme Court justices in American history.
The first, “So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country” (Basic Liberty, Oct. 6), by Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., is a collection of 19 lectures and speeches delivered between 2007 and 2025, offering a sustained firsthand account of his judicial philosophy, which has played a pivotal role in some of the most important decisions of modern times.
These include the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision and the 2014 upholding of the religious freedom rights of closely held for-profit corporations in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
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When Justice Alito was nominated to the court by President George W. Bush, I was serving in the White House. Like so many others nominated by conservative presidents, Justice Alito was immediately attacked by every imaginable leftist group, each of which claimed that his appointment would be the end of civilization — at least in their view — as we know it.
Why were they so worried? Because Mr. Bush had nominated a man well-schooled in originalist constitutional thinking, who would interpret the Constitution as written, not as leftist activists wished it were written.
Justice Alito — unlike some others who have “evolved” leftward upon taking their seat on the bench — has never wavered. He has stood firm to his originalist principles, the ones he writes about so eloquently in his new book.
His common sense, intellectual rigor and lengthy prosecutorial experience made him one of the most influential justices in American history.
On two occasions early in his tenure on the court, I spent considerable time getting to know the new justice. I found him inspiring and civil. He never put on airs. It was clear that his faith and his family were the guiding stars in his life.
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To those who have opposed him, Justice Alito has always responded with great aplomb and grace — without ever wavering in his judicial principles — despite constant pressure from the media and leftist activists.
The second book is “Going Further: The Incomparable Clarence Thomas” (Sentinel, Aug. 25), by Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican — a biography of Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. The book draws on nine hours of on-record interviews Mr. Cruz conducted with Justice Thomas over six visits to the justice’s chambers in late 2025, as well as decades of personal friendship between the two men. Mr. Cruz first met Justice Thomas in 1995, while clerking for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Mr. Cruz later clerked for Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist at the Supreme Court.
Justice Thomas, who in May became the second-longest serving justice in American history and is on track to surpass the all-time record in 2028 if he remains on the bench, has also played a critical role in returning the court to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. He aims to bring it back to being an institution that interprets — rather than makes — laws.
As has been the case with Justice Alito, Justice Thomas’ impact has been profound.
As Mr. Cruz said on an August 2026 episode of his podcast “Verdict,” “If you look at [Justice Thomas’] body of work by any measure, he is one of the most consequential justices and consequential judges to have ever served on the court.”
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Both Justice Alito, 76, and Justice Thomas, 77, have drawn speculation about retirement — either voluntary, because of illness or in the event of death. Many opponents of the two justices’ judicial philosophy are practically salivating at the prospect of their replacement by a left-leaning president.
Yet thanks to these two great men, people of faith now have greater access to public facilities; faith-based businesses are not forced to subsidize activities that go against their beliefs; and states can take steps to protect the most innocent of us all — preborn children — from death.
All these fundamental freedoms were under serious attack and in danger of being permanently eroded until Justices Alito and Thomas took their seats on the Supreme Court. They are judicial giants who have stood strong against the prevailing winds of culture and leftist jurisprudence.
Americans who care deeply about the present and future state of our country owe these two men our highest level of gratitude. They have not only preserved our founding ideals but also strengthened them against attacks by those seeking to undermine them.
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For that, we can all say thanks.
• Timothy S. Goeglein is the vice president of government and external relations at Focus on the Family and the co-author of a new book, “What Really Matters: Restoring a Legacy of Faith, Freedom, and Family” (Fidelis, 2026).