Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer is reaping a bit of the conservative whirlwind over threatening language he directed at SCOTUS Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh. Schumer’s remarks were egregious enough to merit a rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
"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," Roberts said in a statement
— Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley) March 4, 2020
But apparently Roberts (and other critics of Schumer) are just reading too much into what Schumer said.
First, let’s take one more listen to Schumer’s actual remarks:
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
Keep those in mind when you read Chris Hayes’ spin:
The supposed threat he’s quoting is literally almost verbatim what Kavanaugh told the Senate Judiciary Committee! https://t.co/VodTTWQJ5d
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 4, 2020
We’re sure that’s exactly what was going through Schumer’s mind, Chris.
Context here clearly matters. Kavanaugh was warning that the country would "reap the whirlwind" in a karmic sense, due to breakdown in civility, norms, etc. He was not promising to *bring the actual whirlwind*, so to speak. https://t.co/vIvrg4x2K5 pic.twitter.com/MDqAEOpXry
— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) March 4, 2020
Wow, you should provide your readers with this important context!
Here it is!https://t.co/IZvdGKgSWq
— PoliMath (@politicalmath) March 4, 2020
Aside from the fact that Hayes’ explanation doesn’t line up with the BS one we got from Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman …
I guess you know better than Schumer's spokesperson. https://t.co/1tFUBmyWSG
— BT (@back_ttys) March 4, 2020
Hayes’ spin literally doesn’t make any sense.
Gonna be a killjoy here but it was still inappropriate
— Quinta "Pro Quo" Jurecic (@qjurecic) March 4, 2020
I don’t necessarily disagree. Just saying if it was a threat on Schumer’s lips then it was also a threat on Kavanugh’s.
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) March 4, 2020
No, Chris. It wasn’t. Kavanaugh wasn’t issuing a threat, and Schumer wasn’t channeling Kavanaugh when he made his comments.
Not really.
— Jonathan H. Adler (@jadler1969) March 4, 2020
No, it’s not and you don’t have to do this.
— Lyndsey Fifield (@lyndseyfifield) March 4, 2020
He also never said they would "pay the price." This is a dishonest talking point and there's little reason to engage with it as though it weren't.
— Andrew (@andyndelaney) March 4, 2020
Good Lord. Are they trying to say that Kavanaugh’s comments were remotely similar to Schumer’s.
What absolute hackery. https://t.co/xudDhwjAsa
— RBe (@RBPundit) March 4, 2020
