Governor Youngkin continues his push to have the Department of Justice’s Attorney General Merrick Garland crack down on what he said are illegal protests in front of Supreme Court justices’ homes.
Youngkin recently made an appearance on Fox News’s “Jesse Watters Primetime”, where he talked about his recent efforts to ensure their safety. Previously, his office and Maryland governor Larry Hogan, a fellow Republican, wrote a joint letter to Garland earlier in May to no avail. The leak of Alito’s draft opinion was “done to cause chaos,” Youngkin said. “[I]t was done in order to stoke picketing and parades, in order to try to influence justices.”
In the letter, the governors called in-part for “appropriate resources to safeguard the justices and enforce the law as it is written. It is critical that our department acts to preserve the safety and standards of the highest court in the land.”
“It’s clear in the statute that that’s illegal and he should enforce it,” Youngkin told “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
In the absence of federal action, Youngkin said Virginia law enforcement assets are “poised and ready to make sure there’s no violence at justices’ homes.”
“The reality is, as we head into this final [court] decision, we in Virginia are preparing to make sure that, yes, people are allowed to exercise their First Amendment right — actually uphold the Constitution — but we will not allow violence. We will not allow looting, and we will make sure that that the law is upheld.”
Youngkin recently created a Violent Crime Task Force, after he inherited a 20-year-high statewide murder rate from predecessor Ralph Northam, and claimed local authorities are “overwhelmed.” According to the announcement by Youngkin, the Task Force will recommend executive, administrative, and legislative actions on an ongoing basis to the Governor. This task force should be on the front line as Youngkin fights to protect a violence free Virginia. (RELATED: Governor Youngkin Announces Violent Crime Task Force)