CNN political analyst David Gregory called the attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh "horrifying" and slammed the left for being "so hypocritical" about blaming the right for mob violence and not addressing their own side’s role in motivating such behavior.
Speaking to CNN New Day host Brianna Keilar alongside CNN anchor Kasie Hunt, Gregory expressed shock and disbelief over the Wednesday arrest of a young man who told law enforcement he was looking to murder Justice Kavanaugh over the Court's potential dismantling of Roe v. Wade and possible future rulings on the Second Amendment.
Gregory declared, "And this is horrifying. I mean, activism has its place, of course, speaking out has its place, but to threaten a Supreme Court justice and his family outside of his home is beyond the pale, cannot be tolerated, every politician has an obligation to stand up, condemn this and to do something about it."
He then pulled no punches as he hit left-wing politicians over this mob violence. "And the truth is that a lot of people on the left who are in political power are being so hypocritical about this."
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Gregory slammed them for constantly going after former President Trump and right-wing violence while at the same time applauding protesters attempting to scare their conservative political opponents outside their homes. "They lecture us all the time about the excesses of the right, including Donald Trump on January 6, fomenting mob violence and yet they’re out there countenancing as they have with statements before that it’s okay to stand outside these people’s homes," he said.
Keilar then played a clip from an early May White House Press briefing where then-press secretary Jen Psaki and the White House refused to officially discourage protests outside justices’ homes in the wake of the leaked Roe v Wade draft opinion. Though Psaki maintained they should be peaceful.
She also played a clip of Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., shrugging off the dangers of protestors outside his home, saying, "there’s protest, three, four times a week outside my house," and invited Gregory to comment.
The political analyst agreed that peacefully protesting is great, but that’s not what is happening here. "But the problem is, yes, peacefully protest but what’s happening — I mean, I go back to, you know, Bill Clinton’s admonition, right, about right-wing radio, ‘be careful on whose ears these messages fall,’" he said, referencing the 42nd president’s warning on who might be influenced by radical talking points.
Gregory continued, asserting that being outside justices' homes is a different ball game. "You go outside someone’s house, that is menacing, when there’s children there who are not protected by security. The justices are, their families are not, and they’re going off to school in the morning. It’s intimidating."
He then spoke about the attempted murder incident, saying, "Then you can have an instance here where you apparently have someone who by any, you know, measure appears to not be mentally well and is talking about suicidal ideation and turning himself in, but this is what can happen when you have this kind of intense incendiary atmosphere."
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All three pundits spent some time briefly discussing a bill pending being passed in the U.S. House of Representatives that would set up protections for the Justices and their families. Kasie Hunt expressed curiosity whether the bill would pass prior to the imminent Roe v Wade decision.
GOP lawmakers have slammed House Democrats for stalling on the bill in the wake of the arrest of the armed suspect.
Hunt agreed with Gregory’s initial assessment, saying that peaceful protests are "part of being American, but there is a responsibility for people in leadership positions to talk to people who believe in them and who elected them about where is the line and where should we be drawing that line, especially when we’re seeing political violence seep into more and more of our conversations."
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She then concluded, "If you want to show up at the Supreme Court and protest, maybe that’s the place to do it. That’s clearly not where Democratic leaders are right now, and I think it’s because of their base."