Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Thursday blasted Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for threatening two members of the U.S. Supreme Court over how they vote on abortion.
“I’m not sure where to start,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. “There’s nothing to call this except a threat.”
Schumer, at a rally of leftists Wednesday during Supreme Court arguments on a common-sense state requirement that abortionists have hospital admitting privileges, singled out the two justices appointed by President Trump.
“I want to tell you [Neil] Gorsuch. I want to tell you [Brett] Kavanaugh]. You release the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you.”
McConnell said Schumer’s threats were “shameless efforts to bully” the nation’s judges.
“The minority leader threatened two associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period,” McConnell said. “There’s no other way to interpret that.”
Schumer refused to apologize, although he admitted he “should not have used the words.”
He trotted out the deflection his office issued Wednesday night, stating, “My point was there would be political consequences for the president and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court, with the newly appointed justices, stripped away the right to choose.”
However, his comments were directed to the justices, not the president or Senate Republicans.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Schumer’s anger is fueled by his party’s dedication to unrestricted abortion, which a majority of Americans don’t support.
He pointed out that Senate Democrats last week blocked a bill to prevent infanticide, the killing of babies that survive abortion.
It was the first major abortion case for President Trump’s two appointees.
Schumer told the crowd Wednesday: “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.”
Chief Justice John Roberts, in a rare public statement, rebuked Schumer, calling his 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 in this video from a pro-abortion group:
McConnell pointed out that Senate Democrats had just weeks earlier issued another threat to the Supreme Court, suggesting that if the justices didn’t rule the way they wanted, they would change the makeup of the court.
The Senate leader noted the Democrats’ insistence that the court was “not well” and should “heal itself.”
“What that means is rule the way we want or were going to expand the numbers and change the outcome,” McConnell said.
See Brit Hume’s comment:
Look at this BS. Schumer’s aide is insulting people’s intelligence by calling Schumer’s threat against Gorsuch and Kavanaugh a right-wing misinterpretation. What bunk. Schumer never mentioned Senate Republicans when he told the two justices they “won’t know what hit you.” pic.twitter.com/aApOa6MCo2
— Brit Hume (@brithume) March 4, 2020
And from House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.:
I never thought I’d see the day when a Senator—let alone the leader of the Democrats—would threaten Supreme Court Justices.
This marks a dangerous new low. pic.twitter.com/jgMnkQnDqn
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 4, 2020
Here is Chief Justice Roberts’ statement:
The Chief Justice calls out Schumer for threatening two Justices. If you doubt it was a threat, read the Schumer quote, which included the words “you will not know what hit you.” https://t.co/3Rgr0bLfI1
— Brit Hume (@brithume) March 4, 2020
Left-leaning constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe said: “These remarks by @SenSchumer were inexcusable. 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.
Troy Newman, president of the pro-life Operation Rescue, said: “As the highest ranked Democrat in the Senate, it is intolerable that Schumer would issue direct threats by name to two Supreme Court Justices if they did not vote his way on this case. I call on Chuck Schumer to resign. Anyone who can make those kinds of direct and intimidating threats against the nation’s highest court is not fit to serve, and probably belongs behind bars.”
Fox News reported the plan of Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to introduce a resolution censuring Schumer.
“I would call on Schumer to apologize, but we all know he has no shame,” Hawley wrote.
The American Bar Association said in a statement the Schumer remarks were troubling.
“Whatever one thinks about the merits of an issue before a court, there is no place for threats — whether real or allegorical,” the ABA said in a statement. “Personal attacks on judges by any elected officials, including the President, are simply inappropriate. 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.”
Several people complained that Roberts had not responded when President Trump earlier suggested Justices Sotomayor and Ginsburg recuse from cases involving him. But Trump made the comments after the two had stepped outside their role as judges and publicly opposed the president.
Trump condemned Schumer’s threats:
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. This is what Chuck Schumer just did. He must pay a severe price for this!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 5, 2020
