The senior Democratic congressman James Clyburn said his decision to support Clarence Thomas for a US supreme court seat “was a mistake” and called for the expansion of the nation’s highest legal panel to 13 justices.

Clyburn, of South Carolina, spoke up for Thomas at his fiery 1991 confirmation hearings, calling him “a personal and professional friend” who would use their shared experiences lifting minorities and advancing civil rights to become a respected and accomplished jurist.

Instead, Clyburn told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Thomas abandoned his principles to become an extremist, hard-right member of a bench that has delivered some stunning legal reversals in recent years, including the overturning of federal protections for abortion and ending affirmative action in higher education.

Asked by host Kristen Welker if he regretted standing up for Thomas, Clyburn replied: “I have made mistakes in my life, and that’s one that I made. And I will own up to that mistake.

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