The White House has responded after a man was arrested for allegedly attempting to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on June 8.
“The president condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One en route to California.
“As the President has consistently made clear, public officials, including judges, must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety or that of their families. And any threats of violence or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society,” she added.
Nicholas Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday near Kavanaugh’s home in Chevy Chase. Authorities said he had a gun, a knife, and various other items, such as duct tape, and planned to break into Kavanaugh’s house and kill the justice.
Roske said in federal court in Greenbelt during his initial appearance that he “wouldn’t say I’m thinking clearly.” He said he had taken medication prescribed to him by a doctor.
According to charging documents, Roske hatched the plan because he was upset about the recent Supreme Court draft decision that was leaked. The decision indicated the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, giving authority to regulate abortion back to states. Roske also expressed concern that Kavanaugh “would side with Second Amendment decisions that would loosen gun control laws.”
It wasn’t clear whether Kavanaugh, who has a wife and two daughters and was appointed by former President Donald Trump, was home when Roske was arrested.
Before boarding Air Force One in Maryland, Biden didn’t address the arrest. Some lawmakers had called on the president to personally condemn violent threats and actions against justices.
