I believe Trump has said that Thomas is the SCOTUS he respects the most. If true, then your statement is illogical.
Your issue is with Trump's logic, not mine. He claimed that Thomas is his favorite, but then he blasted Scalia over Affirmative Action. Thomas is a stronger opponent of Affirmative Action, than Scalia, so he is not logical.
Of course, there is no evidence that Trump knows anything about Supreme Court justices, or that he didn't say that just because a staffer told him.
He also said his liberal sister would be a great Supreme Court justice. If we take his word on one, we should take his word on another.
Just because someone handed Trump a piece of paper that said he should say Clarence Thomas is the one he admires most, doesn't mean anything.
Trump has also said Hillary would make a great president, etc.