Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your day ...
Trump joins Chief Justice Roberts in rebuking Schumer over Supreme Court comment as NY senator faces backlash
President Trump joined the growing backlash facing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for remarks he made about Associate Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at a pro-choice rally Wednesday, saying the senator must pay a "severe price" for his comments.
President Trump joined the growing backlash facing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for remarks he made about Associate Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at a pro-choice rally Wednesday, saying the senator must pay a "severe price" for his comments.
"There can be few things worse in a civilized, law-abiding nation, than a United States Senator openly, and for all to see and hear, threatening the Supreme Court or its Justices," Trump wrote on Twitter. "This is what Chuck Schumer just did. He must pay a severe price for this!"
In an interview on "Hannity" Wednesday night, Trump added that Schumer's remarks were not protected by congressional "immunity,” adding, "if that were a Republican you would see really bad things happening."
The controversy started earlier in the day at a pro-choice rally hosted by the Center for Reproductive Rights, when Schumer ominously singled out Trump's two Supreme Court picks: "I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price!" Schumer warned. "You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions."
The comments started a stunning back-and-forth between Schumer and Chief Justice John Roberts. In a rare, but stunning rebuke, Roberts responded to Schumer in a written statement obtained by Fox News. He said the following, in part: "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."
Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman quickly responded by accusing Roberts of bias. He insisted Schumer was addressing Republican lawmakers when he said a "price" would be paid -- even though Schumer had explicitly named Kavanaugh and Gorsuch.
“For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices [Sonia] Sotomayor and [Ruth Bader] Ginsberg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes," Goodman added.
Goodman was referring to Trump's call last week for Justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg to recuse themselves from some cases due to alleged bias. Click here for more on our top story.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario