Schumer called on Roberts to rebuke Trump for ‘attacking’ judge three weeks before threat to conservative justices

At a pro-abortion rally on Wednesday, the New York Democrat said Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh would “pay the price” if they vote to uphold a Louisiana abortion law.

The comment elicited widespread criticism, including a rare public rebuke by Roberts.

“This morning, Sen. Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside,” Roberts said.

“Sen. Schumer referred to two members of the court by name,” Roberts added. “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,” the statement continued.

Schumer’s initial reaction was to lash out at Roberts. His spokesman Justin Goodman condemned the chief justice for falling for “the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said,” adding it “shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.”

Goodman further referenced Trump’s recent call for liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor to recuse themselves from all cases involving the president and his administration because of their past criticisms of the commander in chief.

“For Justice Robert’s to follow the right wing’s deliberate misrepresentation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes,” Goodman said.

But by Thursday, Schumer apologized for his threatening comment even as he continued to accuse Republicans of “gross distortion” and “manufacturing outrage.”

“Now, I should not have used the words I used yesterday. They didn’t come out the way I intended to,” Schumer said Thursday morning. “My point was that there would be political consequences, political consequences for President Trump and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court, with the newly confirmed justices, stripped away a woman’s right to choose.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was among the Republicans who criticized Schumer.

“Contrary to what the Democratic leader has tried to claim, he very clearly was not addressing Republican lawmakers or anybody else. He literally directed the statement to the justices, by name. And he said, quote, ‘if you go forward with these awful decisions,’ which could only apply to the court itself. The minority leader of the United States Senate threatened two associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Period,” the Kentucky Republican said.

Trump also weighed in, saying, if a Republican had made such a comment, “he or she would be arrested.”