The White House on Wednesday condemned threats of violence against Supreme Court justices following the arrest of an armed man outside of the Maryland home of Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden was grateful for the quick actions of law enforcement who took the suspect, Nicholas John Roske, into custody.
Mr. Roske, a 26-year-old Californian, was found with a gun, pepper spray and burglary tools near Justice Kavanaugh’s home.
“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 violence threats or threats of violence or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society,” Ms. Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling with the president aboard Air Force One.
“He has said that himself, and we have been forceful from the podium many times,” she said.
Air Force One was en route to Los Angeles where Mr. Biden will attend the Summit of the Americas.
SEE ALSO: Armed suspect outside Kavanaugh’s house targeted justice over abortion case, police say
Ms. Pierre said the president supports legislation to increase security for the Supreme Court and its justices and added that the Department of Homeland Security is working with its partners to “share timely information and intelligence prevent all forms of violence and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our community safe.”
U.S. Marshals confronted Mr. Roske as he arrived by taxi near Mr. Kavanaugh’s residence earlier Wednesday.
Mr. Roske confessed to law enforcement that he planned to kill Justice Kavanaugh because he thought he would rule in favor of gun rights following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and because he was angry that the court is expected to overturn abortion rights, according to court documents.
Several justices’ homes have been targeted by protesters since last month’s publication of a leaked draft opinion indicating that the court would overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
• Alex Swoyer and Stephen Dinan contributed to this story.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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