Pro-abortion extremists are reportedly threatening to burn down the Supreme Court building and murder justices and the clerks, prompting law enforcement to ready itself for political violence should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
A May 13 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo obtained by Axios revealed that government officials are investigating threats to the justices, the clerks, to places of worship, and to abortion clinics.
The memo references threats that came after someone, possibly a clerk, leaked a draft opinion indicating Roe v. Wade will likely be overturned.
These threats “are likely to persist and may increase leading up to and following the issuing of the Court’s official ruling,” the memo said.
Axios reported that the memo attempts to link the pro-life movement to white supremacy, highlighting pro-life violence in the past. But the memo emphasizes that the extremist acts might come from pro-abortion individuals.
“The mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism, use of strong rhetoric, or generalized philosophic embrace of violent tactics does not constitute domestic violent extremism or illegal activity and is constitutionally protected,” the memo adds, according to Axios.
A DHS spokesperson told The Daily Wire on Wednesday: “DHS is committed to protecting Americans’ freedom of speech and other civil rights and civil liberties, including the right to peacefully protest. DHS is also committed to working with our partners across every level of government and the private sector to share timely information and intelligence, prevent all forms of violence, and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe.”
POLITICO broke the news May 2 that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark decision, reporting that Justice Samuel Alito had written an opinion draft that is an “unflinching repudiation” of Roe v. Wade.
The draft majority opinion, which is not final, says Roe v. Wade was egregiously wrong.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
Following the leak of the draft opinion last Monday, conservative activists and legal experts quickly called for the Supreme Court to release its decision on Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“Obviously no one can actually force the Chief Justice’s hand,” Judicial Crisis Network’s Carrie Severino told The Daily Wire in early May, “but he may want to release the opinion early to avoid exposing the Court to further pressure and intimidation tactics that risk undermining the Court as an institution as a result of the draft opinion hanging out there for what could be months.”
The unprecedented leak has sent shockwaves throughout Washington, with commentators noting that a draft decision has never been publicly released in the modern history of the court.
On May 3, Chief Justice John Roberts released a statement confirming that the draft document is real, but emphasizing that it did not represent the Supreme Court’s final decision.
“We at the Court are blessed to have a workforce — permanent employees and law clerks alike — intensely loyal to the institution and dedicated to the rule of law,” the chief justice said.
“This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here,” he added, noting that he has “directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.”
Many on the right have suggested that the draft opinion was most likely leaked by a progressive Supreme Court clerk in an effort to intimidate the court and change its decision — and as protests over the news continue, conservative activists and legal experts call for the Supreme Court to promptly release its decision on Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
In an early May editorial, the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board expressed concerns that an “abortion fanatic” might “commit an act of violence” in an effort to subvert the court’s expected decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“One question is how fast the Court should now move to publish its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,” the board said. “There’s an argument for getting it out fast to make it a fait accompli.”
“Politico said the Alito draft was circulated in February, so the Justices have had ample time to absorb it and respond,” it continued. “We hate to say this, but some abortion fanatic could decide to commit an act of violence to stop a 5-4 ruling. It’s an awful thought, but we live in fanatical times.”