In a rare statement from the chief justice of the U.S Supreme Court, John Roberts scolded Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for threatening associate justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Schumer was speaking Wednesday at a pro-abortion rally in front of the court while the justices heard a challenge to a Louisiana restriction on abortion.
It was the first major abortion case for President Trump’s two appointees, and Schumer delivered a “warning” as they considered the case.
“I want to tell you Gorsuch! And 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,” he said.
Roberts called Schumer’s threats “dangerous.”
“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,” the chief justice said.
“All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter,” Roberts said.
A spokesman for Schumer later confirmed that the senator was delivering a threat, calling his remarks a “reference to 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.”
See Schumer’s threat, starting about 2:13:25 ion this video from a pro-abortion group:
