Fact Check: Armed man arrested outside Kavanaugh's home amid rising threats
What We Know
On June 8, 2022, Nicholas J. Roske was arrested near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in Maryland. He was found with a Glock pistol, a knife, zip ties, and other weapons. Roske had traveled from California and reportedly expressed suicidal and homicidal thoughts, stating he intended to kill Justice Kavanaugh due to his anger over a leaked draft opinion that suggested the Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, as well as his concerns about gun control laws following the Uvalde school shooting in Texas (New York Times, Washington Post).
Roske's actions were described as a calculated attempt to influence the court through violence, which has been condemned by various officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, who emphasized the seriousness of threats against justices (New York Times, Washington Post). In April 2025, Roske pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to assassinate a Supreme Court justice, facing a maximum penalty of life in prison (New York Times, The Guardian).
Analysis
The claim that an armed man was arrested outside Kavanaugh's home amid rising threats is supported by multiple reliable sources. The New York Times and Washington Post, both reputable news organizations, reported extensively on the incident, detailing Roske's motivations and the circumstances surrounding his arrest. These reports highlight the serious nature of the threats against Supreme Court justices, particularly in the context of heightened political tensions regarding abortion rights and gun control (New York Times, Washington Post).
The sources also indicate that Roske's actions were not isolated but part of a broader trend of threats against judges, which has prompted increased security measures and public statements from judicial authorities (New York Times). The reliability of these sources is bolstered by their established journalistic standards and the corroboration of facts across multiple reports.
Conclusion
The claim that an armed man was arrested outside Kavanaugh's home amid rising threats is True. The evidence presented from credible news sources confirms that Nicholas J. Roske was indeed arrested with weapons and expressed intentions to harm Justice Kavanaugh, linking his actions to broader societal tensions regarding judicial decisions.
