‘Following Orders’: Republicans Point to Schumer Telling Kavanaugh He’ll ‘Pay the Price’ in Wake of Would-Be Killer’s Arrest

Zachary LeemanJun 8th, 2022, 2:23 pm
 

Republicans have been highlighting a past video of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) warning Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh he will “pay the price” in the wake of a would-be assassin being arrested outside the judge’s home.

The video of Schumer is from a 2020 protest outside the court. Schumer spoke to the crowd of activists as the judges heard a case on a Louisiana law restricting abortion access. The armed man who was arrested outside Kavanaugh’s Maryland home this week reportedly told police he was angered by a recent opinion draft leak out of the Supreme Court suggesting Roe v. Wade could potentially be overturned.

In his 2020 comments, Schumer named both Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Kavanaugh and said they could release a “whirlwind” when it comes to abortion.

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch; 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,” Schumer said.

Schumer’s “pay the price” line earned a rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts at the time, referring to it as a “threatening statement.”

Clips of the words are being heavily shared by Republican lawmakers and conservative activists in the wake of the arrest, with many arguing Schumer’s language very well could have helped radicalize people now incensed all over again with the draft leak.

“Chuck Schumer called for this violence. The armed lunatic who showed up at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home was simply following orders,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) tweeted.

“The Left needs to condemn ALL violence and stop the #DemocratDoubleStandards and hypocrisy,” Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) added.

“And he is leading the Senate? Reprehensible,” Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) wrote.

The video was also shared by the House Republicans and Senate Republican Communications Center, as well as numerous other conservatives tying Schumer’s rhetoric to the thwarted assassination attempt.

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Zachary Leeman

Zachary Leeman covered pop culture and politics at outlets such as Breitbart, LifeZette, BizPac Review, HollywoodinToto, and others. He is the author of the novel Nigh. He joined Mediaite in 2022.