UPDATE 6/8/2022 3:00 p.m. Eastern: Three hours after first trying to claim the attempted assassin of Justice Brett Kavanaugh didn't have a weapon "at all," CNN's Whitney Wild finally admitted on-air that the man had a gun, a knife, and other gear to carry out the killing. More below.
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After taking over an hour to get to the major breaking story of the day Wednesday – the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home earlier that morning – CNN’s At This Hour tried to downplay the incident by suggesting the man wasn’t armed “at all” and tried to claim there were threats from “both sides” of the political spectrum.
Despite reports that the would-be assassin was armed with a gun, a knife, and pepper spray, and was angered by the leaked draft decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade, CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild tried to downplay the entire situation, even denying he had any weapons on him.
“Very little detail at this point,” she asserted to host Kate Bolduan. “We don't yet know what the nature of the threat was. We don't know what language the threat was or what kind of weapon this man might have had. If he had one at all, because the information at this point is just so thin.”
That was a lie. The chyron on the screen under her even read: “Man with weapon detained near Justice Kavanaugh’s home.” And according to a report from NBC justice correspondent Pete Williams on MSNBC the previous hour, “he was armed with a gun, a knife, and pepper spray and told authorities that he was there to kill the Justice.”
She surely knew she was lying because, in a tweet from before she went on-air, Wild admitted the man had a weapon. “#Breaking Today @ 1:50 a.m. a man was arrested near Justice Kavanaugh’s residence. The man was armed and made threats against Justice Kavanaugh. He was transported to Montgomery County Police 2nd District. @cnn,” she wrote.
#Breaking Today @ 1:50 a.m. a man was arrested near Justice Kavanaugh’s residence. The man was armed and made threats against Justice Kavanaugh. He was transported to Montgomery County Police 2nd District. @cnn
— Whitney Wild (@WhitneyWReports) June 8, 2022
Back in the live shot, Wild tried to argue that this attacker could be a right-wing extremist. “This certainly contributes to this overall threat landscape we've been talking a lot about,” she said. In May, NewsBusters analyst Alex Christy reported that Wild was busy pushing this same shtick, blaming the right for Roe-related threats to the court (Click “expand”):
ALEX MARQUARDT: CNN has learned that the U.S. Capitol Police are bracing for large demonstrations that are being organized by far-right groups to protest abortion rights. CNN's Whitney Wild is live this morning outside the Supreme Court with the latest. Brittany, sorry, Whitney, what are authorities fearing could happen?
WILD: Well, the major risk here based on the conversations I have had with several members of law enforcement throughout the week is that there is a very real concern here that people who are committed to committing acts of violent extremism could use the Roe v. Wade opinion as justification for that. And that could include the possibility that someone would commit an act of violence against abortion providers, against the clinics, against members of the judiciary, members of the federal government, and that also includes members of the Supreme Court.
With Wednesday’s attempted assassination, Wild tried to play the “both sides” card twice in less than 10 seconds. “This is an extremely passionate issue. There are emotions on both sides. Federal officials have made clear over and over they believe the risk truly comes from both sides of this abortion debate,” she proclaimed.
Continuing to argue that people on the right would for some reason attack the Supreme Court for getting a ruling outcome they prefer, Wild concluded with: “People are angry, they might seek to use the abortion ruling as justification to cause violence and puts Supreme Court justices, their staff, and other members of the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court at risk.”
And while CNN takes every opportunity to blame Republican politicians for January 6, there was no such condemnation of Democratic rhetoric. For instance, back in May, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ominously warned that Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch would “pay the price” for possibly joining the majority in overturning Roe.
Three hours after first making these bogus claims, during CNN Newsroom, Wild was forced to eat her words and admit that the wannabe assassin was indeed packing a gun. "He did have a firearm in his suitcase," she admitted. "Once police took him into custody, they found in his backpack and in his suitcase [a] black tactical chest rig, a Glock 17, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdrivers, a long list of other items including hiking boots."
She also begrudgingly had to admit that he had obviously liberal political leanings that drove his desire to kill the Supreme Court Justice:
He was angered over the leaked abortion ruling. He was also concerned that the Justice would side with the Second Amendment, that he would loosen gun laws. This is another high-profile opinion coming out of the Supreme Court soon. So, we have two high-profile Supreme Court opinions coming out, abortion and guns. He was angry about the possible ramifications of both.
(...)
Further, he told investigators that he wanted to give his life purpose and he thought that by doing this act, by killing the Supreme Court Justice...
And despite her documented history of suggesting the far-right was where the threats came from, she tried to distance herself, saying, "This is the example of the type of crime that the federal officials had been warning about..."
This try at downplaying the attempted assassination of a Supreme Court justice was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Wayfair and Applebee’s. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s At This Hour
June 8, 2022
11:21:02 a.m. EasternKATE BOLDUAN: We do have breaking news. Police in Maryland have arrested a man armed with a weapon early this morning near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home. Officials say that the suspect was taken into custody after making threats against the justice. CNN's Whitney Wild is live in Washington. She’s been following these breaking details. Whitney, what are you learning?
WHITNEY WILD: Well, Kate, that call for service came in between 1:30 and 1:45 this morning. That's when the Montgomery County Police Department, that the police department that handles the area where Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and other justices live.
Montgomery county police contacted this man. They assessed that there were, at the Supreme Court public information officers pointed out, this man was making threats against Justice Kavanaugh and so he was transported to one of the local substations for the Montgomery County Police Department. Our understanding now that the FBI is the lead agency on this.
Very little detail at this point, Kate, other than that say this man is – he’s an adult man from California. We don't yet know what the nature of the threat was. We don't know what language the threat was or what kind of weapon this man might have had. If he had one at all, because the information at this point is just so thin.
But Kate, this – this certainly contributes to this overall threat landscape we've been talking a lot about. The major concern here with this abortion ruling from federal officials – and they have been sounding the alarm on this for about a month – is that Supreme Court justices will certainly be, you know, potentially targeted by violent extremists who are angered over this pending ruling that is poised to strike down Roe v. Wade.
This is an extremely passionate issue. There are emotions on both sides. Federal officials have made clear over and over they believe the risk truly comes from both sides of this abortion debate. So, certainly this case, you know, really solidifying what federal officials have been warning about: People are angry, they might seek to use the abortion ruling as justification to cause violence and puts Supreme Court justices, their staff, and other members of the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court at risk.
Back to you.
BOLDUAN: Whitney, thank you very much for that breaking news. We’re going to continue tracking that and bring you more update as we get them. I really appreciate it.
CNN Newsroom
June 8, 2022
2:20:15 p.m. Eastern(…)
2:20:15 p.m. Eastern
WHITNEY WILD: Well, what he told them was he was having suicidal thoughts and that he had a firearm in his suitcase. He did have a firearm in his suitcase, according to this indictment that was just released along with a series of others extremely alarming items.
Let me back up and tell you how this all started, 1:00 a.m., two U.S. Deputy Marshals saw this man exit a taxi. He was dressed in all black. He had a suitcase. He had a backpack. Once he saw those deputy Marshals, he turned on his heel and walked down the street. That's when he called 911 and said he was having suicidal thoughts.
Once police took him into custody, they found in his backpack and in his suitcase black tactical chest rig, a Glock 17, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdrivers, a long list of other items including hiking boots.
And while they were doing this investigation, they read him his Miranda rights and it was through this interview they did with him in which he said his intention was to kill the Supreme Court justice inside that home and then kill himself.
He was angered over the leaked abortion ruling. He was also concerned that the Justice would side with the Second Amendment, that he would loosen gun laws. This is another high-profile opinion coming out of the Supreme Court soon. So, we have two high-profile Supreme Court opinions coming out, abortion and guns. He was angry about the possible ramifications of both.
This is something that Department of Homeland Security officials have been warning about as well as the FBI for weeks.
Further, he told investigators that he wanted to give his life purpose and he thought that by doing this act, by killing the Supreme Court Justice – who was not named in the indictment, by the way – by killing the Supreme Court Justice, he would be able to do that. Again, telling investigators he intended to kill him, the Supreme Court justice and then himself.
He also said that he purchased the Glock 17 as well as other items for this explicit purpose. This is a frightening case. It is eerily similar to a case we just covered on Saturday where a man killed a former judge in Wisconsin and then killed himself.
Again, the real chance of domestic violent extremism geared toward the Supreme Court justices and their staff and others associated with the court is very real. This is the example of the type of crime that the federal officials had been warning about since this leaked draft opinion that shows the Supreme Court is very likely to overturn Roe v. Wade happened. Back to you.
