Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is calling out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) over his threat against Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
On Thursday, McConnell took to the Senate floor to address Schumer’s comments that were made at an abortion rights rally on Wednesday.
Outside of the Supreme Court, Schumer issued a message to both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. “I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer said.
Did Senate Democrat leader Schumer just threaten two conservative justices? Where is the media?
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) March 4, 2020
“I want to tell you Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch: You have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price”pic.twitter.com/MellytNNp5
According to McConnell, there is only one way to describe Schumer’s remarks— “a threat.”
“There is nothing to call this except a threat,” McConnell said.
“The United States Senator threatened two Associate Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period. There’s no other way to interpret that,” McConnell said.
The Senate leader dissected Schumer’s comments accusing him of trying to incite violence on the steps of the Supreme Court.
McConnell went on to scold Schumer for his comments describing his actions as “reckless” and “irresponsible.”
“At the very best his comments were astonishingly reckless and completely irresponsible.”
McConnell also criticized Schumer for his attempt to “triple down” on his perspective and defend his statement after being urged to apologize.
McConnell went a step further accusing Schumer of trying to “gaslight the entire country.” Despite Schumer’s defense, McConnell claims everyone knew what he meant.
“But if he cannot even admit to saying what he said, we certainly cannot know what he meant,” McConnell said. “At the very best his comments were astonishingly reckless and extremely irresponsible.”
Watch his full comments below:
Although Schumer did express regret for the remarks, he also insisted he wasn’t making a threat.
“I should not have used the words I used,” Schumer said on the Senate floor on Thursday. “They didn’t come out the way I intended to.”
Schumer’s spokesman Justin Goodman also previously offered a defense, claiming Schumer was referring to Republican lawmakers who would “pay the price.”
