Far-right provocateur Tomi Lahren raised eyebrows with comments suggesting liberals will commit an "insurrection" over the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe vs. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood.
The majority opinion leaked yesterday—the first time such a leak has ever occurred. It made public the SCOTUS' intention to overturn both the 1973 and subsequent 1992 ruling guaranteeing reproductive freedom.
Chief Justice John Roberts verified the opinion is authentic, but only a draft. He said an investigation into the leak was underway.
Many on the right are convinced the leak came via a pro-choice SCOTUS clerk, despite lack of any evidence.
Speaking with Fox & Friends First hosts Carley Shimkus and Joey Jones, Lahren claimed the leak of the opinion is an "intimidation" tactic by Democrats and predicted an "insurrection" that will be "summer 2020" reignited.
See her comments below.
Fox host Tomi Lahren says Dems are going to hold an insurrection over Roe: \u201cThe only chance the Dems have in Nov is to rile everybody up, get people to the polls with these emotional, culture issues..You\u2019re going to see summer 2020 reignited w/protests - dare I say insurrection.\u201dpic.twitter.com/6XBrAT8RX8— Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ron Filipkowski \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1651580767
Lahren told Shimkus and Jones the leak is a last-ditch effort by Democrats to have any hope of winning November's midterm elections.
"[This is]absolutely an intimidation tactic and also a distraction tactic here."
"I think that the only way the Democrats have a chance in November is if they rile everybody up, get people to the polls with these emotional, cultural issues."
She then went on to invoke the summer 2020 anti-racism protests, comparing protests over reproductive rights to the right-wing coup attempt of January 6, 2021.
"You’re going to see summer 2020 reignited w/protests--dare I say insurrection.”
But as many pointed out, it is more likely the leak was an effort by a right-wing activist seeking to retain the opinion's extremely conservative approach to Roe, which would likely be softened in subsequent edits under the SCOTUS' normal procedure.
I mean, say that the court was set on a 5-4 or 6-3 decision to gut abortion rights, but maybe thought that Alito\u2019s draft went too far. If you support what he wrote, it\u2019d make sense to leak that in hopes of getting 5 justices on board with it.— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy) 1651578813
Nevertheless, Lahren is not alone in casting the opinion leak as a liberal "insurrection."
It hasn't been 24 hours since the opinion leaked, but scores of conservative commentators and Republican politicians have used the word in their outraged takes blaming liberals for the SCOTUS leak.
May 2, 2022 - the Supreme Court Insurrection.— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) 1651542895
In a Fox News rant, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee asserted the leak of a document and the deadly storming of the Capitol are on equal ground.
His hot take primed conservatives to use the word "insurrection" whenever discussing it.
"[I]t’s an egregious form, if you will, of insurrection, and I hope that everyone will use that term, because if what happened Jan. 6 was an insurrection, this absolutely is an insurrection."
Lahren is likely correct in assuming protests over the opinion will occur, because the opinion's verbiage hints the SCOTUS' ambitions don't just stop at overturning Roe v. Wade.
Alito claims the latest decision will not be applied to other rights the SCOTUS has granted.
But Alito's opinion justifies the repeal of Roe by attacking the interpretation of the 14th Amendment that underpins the original decision—and which is foundational to decisions that legalized interracial and same-sex marriage and access to contraception.
In short, far more is at stake in regards to the decision than the November midterms—including for Lahren herself, whose own well documented pro-choice views nearly cost her job at far-right media network The Blaze back in 2017.
On Twitter, people found her take on the matter absurd.
Storm the Capitol in a bid to overturn the election? You\u2019re a peaceful protester. Leak a draft ruling to Politico? It\u2019s INSURRECTION! https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/abortion-supreme-court-lead-jan6-1346795/\u00a0\u2026— Lisa Tozzi (@Lisa Tozzi) 1651593762
So just to be clear, your party is on the verge of a judicial win right now, but you\u2019re also complaining that this win will cause more people to vote blue lmaohttps://twitter.com/tomilahren/status/1521316668345131009\u00a0\u2026— Nicholas Alexander (@Nicholas Alexander) 1651556168
Who wants to tell her that it's not just Dems who support abortion rights?https://twitter.com/DataProgress/status/1521302953608552448\u00a0\u2026— D Villella \u2744\ufe0f (@D Villella \u2744\ufe0f) 1651581196
How dumb is @TomiLahren? This idiot thinks protests and voting is an \u201cinsurrection.\u201d She is dumb as a doorknobhttps://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1521466131000737793\u00a0\u2026— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) 1651582313
Hey @TomiLahren - last time women marched by the millions they wore pink hats and it was one of the most peaceful protests across the planet. We didn't like that Trump won but we didn't storm the Capitol and degrade it. Republicans did that.— BON (@BON) 1651580920
I was just reading a Republican lawyer (but not a Trumper) tweeting it's more likely the Republicans on the court leaked the opinion. Because some on right are having second thoughts on the matter. This leak was designed to pull them back in line.— Jim Gray (The former Chief) (@Jim Gray (The former Chief)) 1651581088
This is the best explanation I\u2019ve seen and it\u2019s terrifying.https://twitter.com/akapczynski/status/1521494553877962754\u00a0\u2026— sachapie (I stand w/\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 & w/democracy) (@sachapie (I stand w/\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 & w/democracy)) 1651589584
The hypocrisy inherent in Lahren's hot take given her pro-choice views was not lost on people either.
Remember when you were pro-choice?https://twitter.com/tomilahren/status/1372239882752565253\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 She Who Shall Not Be Named \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 She Who Shall Not Be Named \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1651554364
https://twitter.com/tomilahren/status/1129094589267173376?s=21\u00a0\u2026— Anna Caudill (@Anna Caudill) 1651580931
1. We hold peaceful protests - which is diff from an insurrection & everyone with a brain damn well knows it.\n\n2. @TomiLahren was almost excommunicated from the unholy church of Fox when she ADMITTED TO BEING PRO CHOICE!\n\n3. She is right on one point - we\u2019re gonna GET VERY LOUD— DeMOMcrat \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@DeMOMcrat \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1651581633
Protests over the opinion have indeed already begun.
Hundreds gathered outside the SCOTUS last night to demonstrate against the forthcoming decision.
It was a peaceful gathering, unlike the January 6 insurrection.