Sen. John Cornyn tweet about SCOTUS ruling related to racial segregation going viral

TEXAS, USA — One day after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, which gave constitutional abortion rights to women for more than 50 years, a Texas senator is now going viral online for comparing it to another landmark ruling that was overruled related to racial segregation.

Sen. John Cornyn responded to a tweet by former president Barack Obama that denounced the Roe v. Wade decision. Cornyn's tweet said "Now do Plessy vs Ferguson/Brown vs Board of Education." 

That tweet quickly went viral online, with most speculating the Texas senator was suggesting SCOTUS reverse the Board v. Board of Education decision, including Texas Democratic congressman Joaquin Castro.

Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark SCOTUS decision in 1954 – which partially overruled its 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson – declaring that the "separate but equal" notion was unconstitutional for American public schools and educational facilities.

WFAA reached out to Sen. Cornyn's office about the tweet, and a spokesperson directed us to this follow up tweet, which said, "Thank goodness some SCOTUS precedents are overruled."

Now do Plessy vs Ferguson/Brown vs Board of Education. https://t.co/hrUYCcIq8Y

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) June 25, 2022

Thank goodness some SCOTUS precedents are overruled. https://t.co/x7iwzm4lto

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) June 25, 2022

In essence, Sen. Cornyn says he is comparing how the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling has overturned the precedent in the Roe v. Wade case. In Obama's tweet, the former president mentioned how the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling reversed 50 years of precedent. Obama said in his tweet that reversing this precedent "relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans."

When the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization opinion was issued on Friday, Sen. Cornyn gave this statement: 

“Today, the Court has restored one of the core principles of our Constitution with this landmark ruling. This decision correctly returns the authority of states to decide the limits on abortion and will save countless innocent lives. I commend the Justices for not bowing to the vicious intimidation campaign waged by the radical Left. I join Texans in celebrating this historic victory for life and the rule of law.”

Reaction online to Cornyn's tweet overwhelmingly deemed his comments as racist. Cornyn retweeted supporters who came to his defense and pointed to the reversing precedent comparison.

Sen. Cornyn: Brown vs Board of Education (which reversed Plessy vs. Ferguson) shows that overturning longstanding precedent is often necessary and positive.

Twitter (including blue checks): Racist!

We have a national crisis in reading comprehension and civic education. https://t.co/DuOVkC0UIy

— Brian Riedl ???? ???????? (@Brian_Riedl) June 25, 2022

No, what he’s saying is that Brown v Board of Education correctly overturned 50+ years of Plessy’s precedent, thereby pointing out that something being precedent for 50 years doesn’t really have anything to do with it being correctly decided pic.twitter.com/1fDkkiRrEZ

— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) June 25, 2022

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