On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) appeared to threaten the two President Trump-nominated members of the U.S. Supreme Court, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, during a rally in front of the nation’s highest court hosted by a left-wing abortion activist group. Prior to the intense blowback from his threatening declaration — including from Chief Justice John Roberts and President Trump — Schumer proudly promoted his appearance at the event online, but notably left out his incendiary statement directed at Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
In a social media post hashtagged “MyRightMyDecision,” Schumer promoted a clip from his speech at the Center for Reproductive Rights-hosted event Wednesday, which was staged in response to the justices hearing a Louisiana abortion case.
“SCOTUS just heard the 1st big case on a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions since Justices Kavanaugh & Gorsuch,” Schumer tweeted along with video of his comments. “It looks at 1 of 100s of draconian, anti-choice restrictions states tried to pass We’re here to send a message: Not on our watch!”
The clip of his remarks the senator promoted notably leaves out the comment that would set off the firestorm.
“We are here to send these folks a message: Not on my watch,” says Schumer. “So let me ask you, my friends, are we going to let Republicans undo a woman’s right to choose? Are we going to stand quiet as they try to turn back the clock? Are we going to give up or waiver when things get tough. No! We are going to stand together in one voice and take a stand on behalf of women and families throughout the country. We are going to stand against all these attempts to restrict a woman’s right to choose. And we will win! Thank you. God bless you. On to victory everybody!”
SCOTUS just heard the 1st big case on a woman's right to make her own health care decisions since Justices Kavanaugh & Gorsuch
It looks at 1 of 100s of draconian, anti-choice restrictions states tried to pass
We’re here to send a message: Not on our watch! pic.twitter.com/cdjCfe32wi
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 4, 2020
As The Daily Wire reported, Schumer said a lot more at the event than he tweeted out, including a threat directed at Kavanaugh and Gorsuch.
“Inside the walls of this court, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments, as you know, for the first major abortion rights cases since Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch came to the bench,” said Schumer. “We know what’s at stake. Over the last three years, women’s reproductive rights have come under attack in a way we haven’t seen in modern history. 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,” Schumer declared. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
Among those who highlighted the comments was Louisiana Republican Congressman Steve Scalise, who posted a clip of the threat and wrote, “Enough. This rhetoric has dangerous consequences. Where’s the media outrage?”
🚨 UNHINGED → Schumer threatened conservative justices Kavanaugh & Gorsuch on the steps of the Supreme Court:
"You have released the whirlwind & you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you."
Enough. This rhetoric has dangerous consequences. Where's the media outrage? pic.twitter.com/SiGNHxG0iX
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) March 4, 2020
Chief Justice Roberts strongly condemned Schumer’s alarming declaration.
“This morning, Senator Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside,” Roberts said in a statement Wednesday. “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.”
A spokesman for Schumer responded Wednesday to Roberts’ statement condemning the senator’s remarks by claiming that senator’s comments were deliberately misinterpreted and accusing the Chief Justice of partisanship, despite Roberts having rebuked Trump in the past over his “Obama judge” comment in 2018.
“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,” said Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman in a statement. Schumer’s threat 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,” Goodman claimed, despite Schumer personally directing the threat to Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
President Trump also rebuked Schumer and called for the senator to pay a “severe price” for his actions. “There can be few things worse in a civilized, law abiding nation, than a United States Senator openly, and for all to see and hear, threatening the Supreme Court or its Justices,” Trump tweeted Wednesday. “This is what Chuck Schumer just did. He must pay a severe price for this!”
This is a direct & dangerous threat to the U.S. Supreme Court by Schumer. If a Republican did this, he or she would be arrested, or impeached. Serious action MUST be taken NOW! https://t.co/WqQUbyzaJU
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2020
Related: Senator To Bring Motion To Censure Schumer, Democrat Suggests He Step Down
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