On Wednesday, Democratic Senator from New York, Chuck Schumer publicly threatened Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Chuck Schumer was speaking to a crowd of abortion supporters, and his threats were caught on video, which has subsequently been widely viewed. Schumer stated in part:
“And they’re taking away fundamental rights. I want to tell you, Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch: You have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
Senator Chuck Schumer is the highest-ranking member of the Democratic Party in the Senate and is the senior United States Senator from New York, a seat he has held since 1998. Schumer should know better than to use his position within the Senate to make threats, especially given the fact that just last month Schumer condemned President Trump for calling out a federal judge.
“I would call on Schumer to apologize, but we all know he has no shame. So tomorrow I will introduce a motion to censure Schumer for his pathetic attempt at intimidation of #SupremeCourt,” Hawley wrote in a post on Twitter.com.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday said he used the wrong words in his comments about Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, saying they were not a threat.
“Now, I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They didn’t come out the way I intended to,” Schumer said Thursday morning. “My point was that there would be political consequences, political consequences for President (Donald) Trump and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court, with the newly confirmed justices, stripped away a woman’s right to choose.”
“Of course I didn’t intend to suggest anything other than political and public opinion consequences for the Supreme Court, and it is a gross distortion to imply otherwise. I’m from Brooklyn. We speak in strong language. I shouldn’t have used the words I did, but in no way was I making a threat. I never, never would do such a thing. And Leader McConnell knows that. And Republicans who are busy manufacturing outrage over these comments know that, too.”
Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday rebuked Schumer in a rare statement.
“This morning, Senator Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside. Senator Schumer referred to two Members of the Court by name and said he wanted to tell them that ‘You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Roberts said.
He continued, “You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.’ Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”
