Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) threat directed at Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at an abortion activist rally Wednesday sparked a firestorm, with public figures from all ends of the political spectrum weighing in, including left-leaning lawyers, leftist media personalities, and liberal entities. Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who joined Chief Justice John Roberts and President Donald Trump in condemning Schumer’s comments, offered some commentary Wednesday to the left’s reaction to the Democratic senator’s alarming comments.
“Republican legislatures are waging a war on women, all women, and they’re taking away fundamental rights,” Schumer said at a Center for Reproductive Rights-hosted event Wednesday in front of the nation’s highest court. “I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
In a rare rebuke, Chief Justice Roberts issued a statement condemning the “not only inappropriate” but “dangerous” comments, as did President Trump, who called for “serious” action against Schumer.
Cruz was one of many Republican lawmakers to condemn Schumer’s threat on Wednesday. “Disgraceful political attack on the Supreme Court & the rule of law,” the Harvard Law-educated senator wrote in a tweet that included the viral clip of Schumer’s comments (posts below). “This attempt at judicial intimidation is not OK. [Sen. Schumer] should be ashamed. He should retract. And he should apologize.”
Cruz also highlighted left-leaning law professor Laurence Tribe’s rebuke of Schumer. “These remarks by [Sen. Schumer] were inexcusable,” Tribe tweeted. “Chief Justice Roberts was right to call him on his comments. I hope the Senator, whom I’ve long admired and consider a friend, apologizes and takes back his implicit threat. It’s beneath him and his office.”
“[Laurence Tribe] is exactly right. (!!)” Cruz responded. “The attempt by [Sen. Schumer] at judicial intimidation—a threat of political retaliation, or worse—is wrong & profoundly dangerous. Politics are one thing; trying to politicize & destroy the Supreme Court is altogether different.”
Cruz pointed out another left-leaning response, this time from MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, who admitted after initially downplaying Schumer’s comments that they were completely “out of line.”
“Having watched the Schumer clip a few times, it really was out of line! Not just for norms reasons (though I think those matter) but also because idle threats are dumb and expose impotence,” Hayes tweeted. “Also the intelligence community stuff was weird and bad too.”
Cruz offered a one-word response to Hayes’ admission: “Wow.”
The American Bar Association also issued a statement about Schumer’s comments, stating Wednesday that it found the senator’s threat “deeply troubling.” “Personal attacks on judges by any elected officials, including the president, are simply inappropriate,” read the ABA’s statement, as reported by Fox News. “Such comments challenge the reputation of the third, co-equal branch of our government; the independence of the judiciary; and the personal safety of judicial officers. They are never acceptable.”
In response, Cruz offered a journalistic aphorism: “Man bites dog.”
WATCH this: Disgraceful political attack on the Supreme Court & the rule of law. This attempt at judicial intimidation is not OK. @SenSchumer should be ashamed. He should retract. And he should apologize. https://t.co/SFvr1Q1y8m
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 5, 2020
.@tribelaw is exactly right. (!!) The attempt by @SenSchumer at judicial intimidation—a threat of political retaliation, or worse—is wrong & profoundly dangerous. Politics are one thing; trying to politicize & destroy the Supreme Court is altogether different. https://t.co/pcRz5FnnKA
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 5, 2020
Extraordinary. And exactly right. https://t.co/UDMHY1lkhQ
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 5, 2020
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 5, 2020
Man bites dog. https://t.co/dr88WoQqbt
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 5, 2020