Staff Reports
A California man who plotted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, marking one of the most shocking and dangerous political crimes in recent history. Nicholas John Roske, 28, was arrested outside Kavanaugh’s Maryland home in 2022, carrying a firearm, ammunition, and burglary tools. Prosecutors revealed that Roske admitted he intended to kill the justice because he was angry over the Court’s stance on abortion and gun rights. The sentencing comes after the Department of Justice recommended the maximum penalty to ensure accountability for what could have been a devastating act of political violence.
This case underscores how heated political rhetoric is spiraling into real-life violence, particularly against conservative leaders and institutions. For years, left-wing politicians and media figures have vilified the Supreme Court’s conservative justices, portraying them as enemies of “democracy” for issuing rulings that uphold constitutional principles on issues like the Second Amendment and the sanctity of life. When leaders in power casually insinuate that the Court is illegitimate or dangerous, should we really be surprised when unstable individuals take matters into their own hands? Words have consequences, and the poisonous climate fostered by the left has made real targets out of public servants.
It wasn’t long ago that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood outside the Court and warned Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch that they would “pay the price” for their decisions. This reckless rhetoric is exactly the kind of dangerous posturing that inflames radicals like Roske, who justified his deadly scheme by claiming he was motivated by a desire to “help women long term.” Encouraging violence under the guise of social justice has become too common on the left, whether through riots in the streets or harassment of conservative officials at their homes. Rather than condemning violence equally, Democrats have often looked the other way when threats are directed at their political opponents.
The Roske case is not just an isolated incident, but part of a disturbing pattern of intimidation aimed at undermining key institutions. Conservatives have faced threats to their families, vandalism of crisis pregnancy centers, and even assassination attempts. And yet, we rarely see the same public outrage or consistent media coverage as when the violence points in the other political direction. The double standard is glaring. If this had been a plot against a left-wing justice, the narrative of “domestic extremism” would dominate every front page. But because it was Kavanaugh, the story gets buried within the broader political noise.
What America needs now is strong leadership willing to call out the divisive rhetoric from the left and to protect those who serve in our highest institutions. Violence cannot become the norm, and threats to judges—whether conservative or liberal—must be seen as direct threats to the rule of law itself. Justice Kavanaugh and his family should never have to live under siege simply for doing their jobs and upholding the Constitution. It is time for our leaders to say “enough” to radical activists who attempt to strong-arm democracy through violence, and instead return to respecting debate, law, and order as the only legitimate pathways for change.
