WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says he "should not have used" the words he used when he said that two Supreme Court justices would "pay the price" for their decisions on an abortion case.

Schumer responded Thursday after his Republican colleagues strongly criticized him and after Chief Justice John Roberts said the words were "inappropriate" and "dangerous."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chastised Schumer in a strongly worded statement delivered on the Senate floor on Thursday.

"At the very best, his comments were astonishingly reckless and completely irresponsible," McConnell said. "Because no matter the intention, words carrying the apparent threat of violence can have horrific unintended consequences."

Schumer directed the comments on Wednesday at Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at a rally while a significant Louisiana abortion case was being argued at the high court.

“You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,'' Schumer said.

Schumer says he made the comments because he feels passionately about protecting abortion rights.