Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerDemocrats scramble on COVID-19 relief amid division, Trump surprise Pelosi, Schumer 'encouraged' by Trump call for bigger coronavirus relief package Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (D-N.Y.) said on Thursday that he "shouldn't have used the words" he did when he said that two Supreme Court justices would "pay the price" for their decisions on abortion rights cases.

The remarks about Justices Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughGideon leads Collins by 12 points in Maine Senate race: poll Conservatives see glaring omission on Trump's Supreme Court shortlist Cruz says he wouldn't accept Supreme Court nomination MORE and Neil Gorsuch Neil GorsuchConservatives see glaring omission on Trump's Supreme Court shortlist Cruz says he wouldn't accept Supreme Court nomination Trump's Supreme Court list reveals influence of Clarence Thomas MORE had sparked an outpouring of GOP criticism and a rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

"Now I should not have used the words I used yesterday," Schumer said in remarks from the Senate floor.

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"They did not come out the way I intended to. My point was that there would be political consequences, political consequences for President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE and Senate Republicans if the Supreme Court ... stripped away a women's right to choose."

.@SenSchumer: "I shouldn't have used the words I did but in no way was I making a threat. I never, never would do such a thing and Leader McConnell knows that. And Republicans who are busy manufacturing outrage over these comments know that too." pic.twitter.com/3pXSJdqIK2 — CSPAN (@cspan) March 5, 2020

His comments come as Republicans have raced to lash out at the Democratic leader after he warned the two conservatives justices that they would "pay the price" if they voted against abortion rights.

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“I want to tell you, Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch, you have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer said at a rally on Wednesday. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

Justices heard arguments Wednesday on a Louisiana abortion law that could see the court revisit the protections that emerged in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

Republicans have characterized Schumer's comments as a "threat." They earned him a rare rebuke from Roberts and a threat of a censure attempt by Sen. Josh Hawley Joshua (Josh) David HawleyWhat Facebook's planned change to its terms of service means for the Section 230 debate Republican Senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal TikTok, Oracle seek Trump's approval as clock ticks down MORE (R-Mo.).

But Schumer hit back at the GOP criticism saying he didn't mean to imply a physical threat and "it is a gross distortion to imply otherwise."

"I shouldn't have used the words I did, but in no way was I making a threat. I never, never would do such a thing. And Leader McConnell knows that. And Republicans who are busy manufacturing outrage over these comments know that," he said.