On Thursday, following the uproar that exploded on Wednesday after Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) issued an apparent threat targeting Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at an abortion activist rally, prompting an avalanche of criticism launched toward Schumer for his remarks, actor James Woods warned that attitudes like Schumer’s were the precursor to something far more dangerous, and precisely the reason that the Second Amendment exists.
Woods took note of the unprecedented step Chief Justice John Roberts took by issuing a statement condemning Schumer’s remarks. Woods tweeted, “When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must take the extraordinary step of admonishing a United States Senator from targeting the lives of named Justices, we are in civil war territory. The Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment for violent haters like Chuck Schumer.”
When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court must take the extraordinary step of admonishing a United States Senator from targeting the lives of named Justices, we are in civil war territory. The Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment for violent haters like Chuck Schumer.
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) March 5, 2020
As The Daily Wire reported, Schumer had ranted, “Republican legislatures are waging a war on women, all women, and they’re taking away fundamental rights. 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.”
Roberts fired back:
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. 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.
That prompted a spokesman for Schumer to rip Roberts, accusing him of being influenced by the political Right, saying, “For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg last week, shows that Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.” The spokesperson continued by claiming, “It was a reference to the political price Rs will pay for putting them on the court and a warning that the justices will unleash major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision.”
Woods has been clear about the necessity of the Second Amendment before; in February 2018 he answered a tweet from a leftist who stated on Twitter that they supported a “violent overthrow of Trump.” Woods responded, “And this is why we have a Second Amendment, and why the Founding Fathers stated specifically that the rights therein shall not be ‘infringed.’”
And this is why we have a Second Amendment, and why the Founding Fathers stated specifically that the rights therein shall not be “infringed.” pic.twitter.com/hqMKFBUnZc
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) February 20, 2018
Woods is clearly conservative, but his dedication to the American system supersedes partisan politics. Despite the fact that he strongly opposed former President Barack Obama, in September 2016 he noticed a tweet stating “We must kill and eat Obama.” Woods alerted the Secret Service, writing, “.@SecretService You might be interested in this person…”
As The Wrap reported, Woods later tweeted, “I may disagree with #Obama on virtually everything. To threaten his life allegedly in jest is appalling and a federal felony @SecretService.”