In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with The Daily Wire, Sen. Tim Scott, (R-SC), discussed the recent racially charged mass shooting in Buffalo, the Supreme Court’s pending decision on abortion, the ongoing protests at the homes of justices, and what it means to be a black conservative. Below is the third of three articles on the interview.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tim Scott finds the silence from most Democrats deafening as the U.S. Supreme Court and its conservative justices are being threatened in advance of a decision that may overturn Roe v. Wade.
The South Carolina Republican weighed in on threats during an exclusive sit-down with The Daily Wire following a report that government officials are investigating threats to murder the justices, burn down or storm the court, and attack houses of worship. These threats “are likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing of the Court’s official ruling,” according to a May 13 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo.
“It is disgusting, despicable, and undeniable that the Department of Justice needs to stand up and take care, protect our justices and their families,” Scott told The Daily Wire. “This is a real threat that should be taken seriously.”
Scott emphasized that it is “our responsibility to stand in the gap” to protect both the American judicial system and the justices themselves, saying, “Count me in.”
“I would hope that all Americans would come together to defend the right embedded in our Constitution to free speech,” he said. “I would hope that we would send a clear message to folks who want to intimidate our justices: Not here, not now, not ever.”
Nationwide protests and demonstrations have followed the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion, an “unflinching repudiation” of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made abortion a federal right. The document, which is not final, says Roe v. Wade was egregiously wrong.
On May 3, Chief Justice John Roberts released a statement confirming that the draft document is real, but noting that it did not represent the Supreme Court’s final decision.
“We at the Court are blessed to have a workforce — permanent employees and law clerks alike — intensely loyal to the institution and dedicated to the rule of law,” the chief justice said.
“This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here,” he added, noting that he has “directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.”
Many on the right have speculated that the draft opinion was leaked by a progressive Supreme Court clerk in an effort to intimidate the court and change its decision — and as protests over the news continue, conservative activists and legal experts call for the Supreme Court to promptly release its decision.
Asked what role Democratic rhetoric surrounding Roe v. Wade has played in the escalating anger from pro-abortion activists, Scott criticized those lawmakers who have remained silent on the threats to the justices and to the court.
“When you don’t stand up against those folks in your party or in your centers of influence, the credibility is lost,” he said. “They have to stand up and say, ‘That is wrong. This is not the way we address the issue.'”
The White House issued a statement condemning acts of “violence, threats, or vandalism” after vandals set fire to a pro-life clinic in Wisconsin, scrawling on the clinic wall: “If abortions aren’t safe, then you aren’t either.”
But the White House has not discouraged protesters from demonstrating at the homes of the justices. Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, addressing the protesting at the justices homes, said that Biden’s view is that “there’s a lot of passion.”
Illinois Democrat Sen. Richard Durbin has been one of the few in his party to forcefully condemn the protests, calling them “reprehensible.”
Scott said that Americans have the right to “say what you want to say in a peaceful, constructive manner,” they do not have the right to “threaten lives.”
“You don’t have the right to threaten murder,” he added, before referring to Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and her family. “You don’t have the right to make a mother of six or seven have to fear for the lives of her children.”
“That should not be a part of the job qualifications or the job duties,” he added.
Pro-abortion activists have promised a “Summer of Rage” as they prepare for an impending decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and the potential overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“We will be ungovernable until this government starts working for us, until the attacks on our bodies let up, until the right to an abortion is codified into law,” said Women’s March President Rachel Carmona.
Scott urged pro-life Americans to meet this rhetoric, and the incoming “Summer of Rage,” with dignity and faith. “I believe in the power of prayer. It continues to work in my life. I would say we should all pray for our adversaries.”
“Be ready to defend yourself with affection, with love, and with the power and the resolve of your convictions,” he added. “We don’t back down from what we believe. We will not be intimidated into a small corner in any room. We’re going to stand outside. We’re going to shout to the top of our voices about what we believe in, what we have our convictions on.”
If pro-life Americans behave in this way, Scott said, the contrast will be remarkable between “those who want rage to fill the air and the screens of television” and those who are “powerful and positive and committed to showing that peace does lead to life.”