Schumer Apologizes For Threatening Supreme Court Justices; McConnell Calls “Astonishingly Reckless”

Update (3/5/2020): Schumer has apologized for his remarks, saying “I should not have used the words I used yesterday. It didn’t come out the way I intended it to,” regarding his threats against conservative Supreme Court justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

Not everyone thinks he should get off so easily…

There should be a censure vote in the Senate regarding Schumer’s threat to the Supreme Court @SenSchumer

— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) March 5, 2020

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Senate Marjority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Schumer’s comments were “astonishingly reckless and completely irresponsible.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Chuck Schumer’s comments: “astonishingly reckless and completely irresponsible” pic.twitter.com/jwonApFvmR

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 5, 2020

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Update (2140ET): Chuck Schumer’s outrageous outburst has sparked condemnation from both sides of the aisle – Pro-Trump and Never-Trump.

Rep. Mark Meadows exclaimed on Twitter: Chuck Schumer has a way of accidentally unmasking the left’s nefarious behavior

• 2017: “You mess with the Intel Community, they have 6 ways from Sunday to get back at you”

• Today: Says Gorsuch & Kavanaugh “will pay the price” & “won’t know what hit them”

RINO Senator Mitt Romney chastised the Democratic leader:

A reprehensible threat from Senator Schumer is followed by a laughably illogical prevarication. What ever happened to truth and a simple apology?

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 4, 2020

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And Schumer’s friends are upset. Harvard Constitutional Law Professor Laurence Tribe decried Chuck’s words:

“These remarks 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.”

Even none other than disgraced former FBI Director James Comey criticized Schumer (albeit with a back-handed shot at Trump):

It is wrong for elected officials to attack federal judges. It doesn’t matter who you are or who the judges are. If you do it you should apologize. We need leaders who are a contrast to Trump, not a mirror.

— James Comey (@Comey) March 5, 2020

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And finally, @CrimeADay reminded us of this little law: 40 USC §§6134 & 6137(a)

• It is unlawful to …utter loud, threatening, or abusive language in the Supreme Court Building or grounds.

• An individual who violates this … shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned not more than 60 days, or both.

“Impeach him…”

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Update (1925ET): First Chief Justice Roberts chides the Senate minority leader and now Trump slams the Democrat’s “direct and dangerous Threat” to SCOTUS…

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

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Trump went on…

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

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As we noted below, and Trump reiterated, just imagine if the president had said something like this? How the media would have reacted?

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First Chuck Schumer threatened President Trump when he said the intelligence community has “six ways from Sunday” of getting back at him. Now it’s Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch – who will “pay the price” and “won’t know what hit you” if they rule the wrong way on a landmark abortion case.

In which Chuck Schumer threatens TWO sitting Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. pic.twitter.com/pA3mryeVK2

— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) March 4, 2020

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Schumer was speaking at a rally in front of the Supreme Court, where the justices heard June Medical Service v. Russo – in which an abortion provider has challenged a 2014 Louisiana state law, the “Unsafe Abortion Act,” which requires abortion doctors to hold admitting privileges in a hospital at least 30 miles away from the abortion facility.

His comments drew rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts, who said that his comments were “not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.“

NEW: Chief Justice Roberts chastises Schumer for “threatening” statements about Kavanaugh, Gorsuch. pic.twitter.com/jQWHJTfpks

— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) March 4, 2020

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Opponents argue that the law would limit abortion access across the country – hence the protests against the two recent conservative additions to the Supreme Court. If the law is upheld, all three of Louisiana’s abortion clinics could no longer end the lives of unborn children.

When the law was signed in 2014, only one of the state’s six abortion clinics at the time had a physician who was compliant with its requirements. The law has been largely blocked from implementation, but was briefly allowed to go into effect in early 2016, prompting the closure of two of the state’s remaining clinics.

Today, Louisiana has just three abortion clinics across the state. If the Supreme Court finds Louisiana’s law constitutional, all of them would stop offering the procedure, as first reported by CBS News. The court’s ultimate decision is expected early this summer. –CBS News

Pro-life advocates also gathered at the Wednesday rally. 

Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman put quite the spin on the threat, telling the Daily Caller that the senator’s comments referenced the political price Republicans “will pay for putting them on the court,” as well as “a warning that the justices will unleash major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision.”

Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse slammed Schumer, saying that Schumer threatened Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

“The Democratic Party is so radicalized on abortion politics that today Chuck Schumer threatened Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh if they didn’t strike down a simple, common-sense, pro-woman law that simply says that abortion doctors need to have admission privileges at a local hospital,” Sasse said in a statement provided to the DCNF.

The Nebraska senator argued that if a Republican threatened Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor or Ginsburg, “it would be the biggest story not just in Washington but all across America.” –Daily Caller

“But, Chuck Schumer’s bully tactics aren’t getting much air time right now because there’s so many people in bed with his defense of abortion and his attack on an independent judiciary,” Sasse continued. “These bullying tactics need to stop.”