Speaking at an abortion rights rally on the steps of the Supreme Court Feb. 4, 69-year-old four-term Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) went off the rails, threatening Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, both appointees of 73-year-old President Donald Trump. “I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer bellowed to a pro-abortion rights crowd. Schumer was oblivious to the threats he was making, saying afterward he used colorful language because he’s from Brooklyn. Shumer warned Gorsuch and Kavanaugh they “won’t know what hit” them if they voted to uphold restrictions on abortions in a case pending before the High Court. Schumer’s zeal before the pro-abortion crowd showed not just poor judgment but an unhinged demeanor disgracing the U.S. Senate.
Schumer was oblivious while delivering the speech that he was making threats against members of the federal bench, let alone the Supreme Court. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,” Schumer told the crowd. Before Schumer tried to apologize, he heard from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts March 5. “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,” Roberts said March 5. As the firestorm escalated, Schumer tried some perfunctory damage control. Schumer tried to spin his remarks to say that he was talking about consequences for Congress, not members of the Supreme Court, even after naming Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
Schumer can’t deny what he said because it’s a matter of public record. It doesn’t matter what he “intended” to say, it only matters what he actually said. “I should not have used the words I used yesterday, they didn’t come out the way I intended them to. I’m from Brooklyn. We speak in strong language. I shouldn’t have used the words I did, but in no way was I making a threat,” Schumer said. Schumer went over the deep end speaking about a case, June Medical Services v. Russo, a Louisana case requiring doctors who perform abortions to have medical privileges at credentialed hospitals. Pro-rights groups argue if the requirement holds, it will restrict access at outpatient clinics for abortions. Going off the rails, Schumer was in a frenzied state, drawing cheers from the pro-rights crowd, demanding, under Roe v. Wade, unfettered access to abortions across all state lines.
Schumer’s spokesman Justin Goodman dug Schumer into a deeper hole. “Sen. Schumer’s comments were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court and the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision,” Goodman said. Schumer named Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, not House or Senate Republicans. Instead of issuing a coherent mea culpa, Goodman negated any apology, hearing a feeble explanation to justify Schumer’s public threats. Goodman went further accusing Roberts if not calling “balls and strikes,” referring to Trump’s past criticism of liberal justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sonia Sotomayor. Goodman accuses Roberts of deliberately misinterpreting Schumer’s public remarks for which he apologized insincerely for threatening Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
Calling for Schumer’s removal as Senate Minority Leader, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.) asked the Senate to consider removing Shumer from his leadership position. “I don’t think you should take this lightly,” asking Senate Democrats to end Schumer’s role a minority leader. Schumer’s among the most partisan, anti-Trump members of the U.S. Senate, doing everything possible to see Trump removed from office during Democrats’ failed impeachment hearings. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) partners with Schumer on everything anti-Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rejected Goodman’s redo of Schumer’s March 4 remarks on the steps of the Supreme Court. “Contrary to what the Democratic leader has tried to claim, he very clearly was not addressing lawmakers or anybody else,” said McConnell. “He literally directed the statement to the justices, by name.”
Schumer’s March 4 remarks to pro-rights groups outside the Supreme Court warrant a strong rebuke or censure by the U.S. Senate. Schumer knows what he said as his passions got the better of him. It’s unlikely that the Senate’s Democrat leadership will take any action to remove Schumer as minority leader. Whatever consequences come from Schumer’s unhinged remarks, he’s disgraced the U.S. senate threatening members of the U.S. Supreme Court. Schumer’s spokesman undermined his damage control, blaming Trump for also commenting about Justices Ginsberg and Sotomayor. Schumer’s remarks prompted Chief Justice Roberts to explain his view of the High Court in 2018. “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges.” What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”
