The Patriot Post® · Supreme Spin After Court Leak Yields Mob

Justice Clarence Thomas doesn’t speak all that often, so when he does, his words carry even more weight. He spoke Friday into the roiling debate over the blockbuster leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s purported majority opinion striking down Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in the upcoming Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. “We can’t be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want,” Thomas argued. “The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that.”

Thomas was addressing the 11th Circuit judicial conference, which is somewhat remarkable in and of itself given that Alito canceled a planned speech to the Fifth Circuit’s conference over concerns about reaction to the leak. Beyond that, why would Thomas be compelled to address this issue publicly?

Because the mob is terrorizing some of the justices.

Which ones? CNN guest host Alex Marquardt worries that “law enforcement is bracing for potential violence … being organized by far-right groups.” To be sure, admitted correspondent Whitney Wild in response, “There are no specific credible threats. However, social media chatter is being taken much more seriously in the wake of January 6th.” Ah yes, the all-purpose bogeyman of January 6.

Being a leading purveyor of fake news, CNN’s hysterical reporting gaslighting could be laughed off except for the actual mob on the Left.

The Daily Signal’s Douglas Blair reported at the scene of a raucous protest outside of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home. He later called it “an attempt at intimidation” and said that seeing people “yell and scream and try and change the vote” on a hugely consequential Supreme Court case “was genuinely one of the scariest things I’ve ever witnessed.”

The home of Chief Justice John Roberts was also targeted by leftist protesters. There have been no such protests reported outside the homes of left-wing justices — well, unless you count Roberts.

What about violence? “A Wisconsin pro-life group’s office was set on fire early Sunday and vandalized with abortion-themed graffiti in what authorities are investigating as an arson,” reports The Washington Times in just one example of left-wing violence.

In the face of this reality, NPR’s Nina Totenberg, a mainstay of the taxpayer-funded network’s Court reporting, opined on the identity of the leaker: “The leading theory is a conservative clerk who was afraid that one of the conservatives might be persuaded by Chief Justice Roberts to join a much more moderate opinion.”

Was this a plausible theory last Monday? Maybe. Not anymore. The folks outside the homes of Kavanaugh or Roberts weren’t holding pro-life signs. Thomas wasn’t warning pro-life protesters to stop the intimidation campaign. And Alito didn’t cancel a speech because of a right-wing mob.

The White House also gave a major clue, condoning “peaceful protest” filled with understandable “passion.” As for whether those protests should extend beyond the Supreme Court building to the Virginia and Maryland homes of the justices, Jen Psaki gave a wink and nod: “I don’t have an official U.S. government position on where people protest.” Besides, she argued, they’re totally justified to protest because they’re “worried about their fundamental rights” and are “unhappy” and “scared.”

Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley rebuked his own side, calling Psaki’s “nonposition” on “targeting of justices at their homes … one of the lowest moments in American politics.” He added, “We have finally hit the bedrock of rage in American politics.”

But why would Psaki condemn such protests now? Then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer practically threatened such things two years ago. “I want to tell you, [Neil] Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price!” he thundered to a mob on the steps of the Court. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions!”

Former Attorney General Bill Barr says he’s “appalled” at the White House response, but he acknowledged that’s political reality. “The Left has been tolerant of violence for some time now,” he said. “It’s becoming increasingly shameless.”

To recap, conservative justices are canceling speeches, being targeted in their homes, and condemning the leak and the attempted intimidation. The Leftmedia is busy gaslighting about right-wing violence and blaming a right-wing leaker. And the White House is practically approving of the mob and sitting on its hands regarding prosecuting the leaker. Every day that goes by waiting on the Court to issue its opinion is fraught with political peril.