Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters as President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial shifts to questions from senators, a pivotal juncture as Republicans lack the votes to block witnesses and face a potential setback in their hope of ending the trial with a quick acquittal, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Early today, Chuck Schumer decided it’d be a good idea to drag his nearly 80-year-old self down to the Supreme Court to virtue signal about the wonders of abortion. In his nearly incoherent rant on why killing children in the womb is a good thing, he managed to cross a line that perhaps he regrets.
Namely, he directly threatened Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
Schumer: “I want to tell you Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch: You have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price.”
— Alexandra DeSanctis (@xan_desanctis) March 4, 2020
Of course, while such comments from any Republican would have drawn breaking coverage from CNN and a full week of pearl-clutching, Schumer has been barely chided at this point.
Now, Chief Justice Roberts has made a rare statement and he takes Schumer to the woodshed.
Chief Justice Roberts promises the work of the Court will go on “without fear or favor” after Sen. Schumer said Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh would “pay the price” if they voted to uphold Louisiana’s regulations on abortion clinics.
“You won’t know what hit you,” Schumer said. pic.twitter.com/t5YZF2Sf6J
— Kevin Daley 🏛 (@KevinDaleyDC) March 4, 2020
The fact that Roberts goes all the way and directly charges Schumer with making threats is pretty stunning. But he’s right, it was a threat and there’s no other explanation to the contrary.
Schumer’s team is attempting to do damage control, although they are offering no apology.
NEW stmt from Schumer spox: "For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen Schumer said, while remaining silent when Pres Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor & Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.” pic.twitter.com/9908ZAeNkz
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) March 4, 2020
Yes, it’s a “right wing interpretation” to take Schumer’s words for what they clearly are or something. The Minority Leader’s words were not ambiguous. He is shown levying the threat directly at Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. He was not talking about some political whirlwind that’s going to hurt Republicans. (Why would two guys with lifetime appointments care about that?)
But here, let’s go straight to the video just to be sure.
Chuck Schumer : "I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released a whirlwind and you will pay the price" pic.twitter.com/VPUcGhQyyW
— Mike (@FuctupMike) March 4, 2020
For him to pull this nonsense now is laughable. He threatened two Supreme Court Justices and he needs to own it. Stop being a wuss and either apologize or double down, but don’t gaslight everyone with these ridiculous excuses.
Meanwhile, the firefighter brigade is out in full force showing themselves to be total hypocrites.
Oh, did I miss Roberts chastising Trump for threatening judges, juries, and witnesses? No? Then he can stuff it. https://t.co/DX7IsINrQX
— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) March 4, 2020
Whether you think Schumer’s comments were warranted or not, for Chief Justice Roberts to reprimand him, after permitting so much from Trump to go unacknowledged, will damage public faith in the neutrality of the Court he leads. This feels like a misstep. https://t.co/RAGLUUPSv9
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 4, 2020
Actually, Roberts did publicly chastise Trump for comments far more mundane than the ones Schumer made. Perhaps all these media members just forgot? But they look pretty stupid now trying to claim Roberts isn’t consistent on this stuff.
In the end, nothing will happen to Schumer. The media will join ranks, he’ll make more excuses, and the Democrats will move on. But the next time Trump even hints at criticizing a judge, we’ll be back on a 48-hour news cycle about it because our media are terrible.
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