Protesters’ run-in with Kavanaugh at Morton’s steakhouse gets big thumbs up from White House

The White House on Friday vouched for unruly pro-abortion protesters who harassed Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh outside of a Washington steakhouse where he was dining.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that while President Biden condemns any act of intimidation or violence, interrupting the conservative justice’s dinner out doesn’t rise to a level of concern.

“People should be allowed to be able to do that,” she said. “If it’s outside of a restaurant. If it’s peaceful. For sure.”

Justice Kavanaugh reportedly egressed through a rear exit of Morton’s The Steakhouse after finishing his meal Wednesday night to avoid protesters in front of the restaurant.

It was another in a series of protests targeting justices who overturned Roe v. Wade national abortion rights.

The restaurant took a decidedly different slant than the White House.

“Honorable Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh and all of our other patrons at the restaurant were unduly harassed by unruly protesters while eating dinner at our Morton’s restaurant,” a restaurant spokesperson told Politico.

“Politics, regardless of your side or views, should not trample the freedom … to congregate and eat dinner,” the spokesperson said. “There is a time and place for everything. Disturbing the dinner of all of our customers was an act of selfishness and void of decency.”

The protest outside of Morton’s may not be the last. 

A group known as ShutDownDC has offered a cash reward for restaurant workers to report the whereabouts of conservative judges spotted dining in Washington.

“DC Service Industry Workers … If you see Kavanaugh, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Coney Barrett or Roberts DM us with the details!,” the group posted on Twitter. “We’ll venmo you $50 for a confirmed sighting and $200 if they’re still there 30 mins after your message.”

The protests and threats against justices began before the highly anticipated abortion ruling, which was handed down two weeks ago.

Pro-choice protesters have been showing up outside the houses of conservative justices.

Last month a man carrying weapons and intending to kill Justice Kavanaugh was arrested outside his home in a Maryland suburb of Washington.

Amid the heightened threat of violence, Congress recently passed and President Biden quickly signed into law expanded security for Supreme Court justices.

“We have said that we want to see peaceful protests,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said Friday. “We want to see the protests be peaceful. But when it comes to intimidation that is something that we have condemned.”