White House Reacts to Arrest of Man Reportedly Trying to Murder Kavanaugh

The White House is condemning an individual who was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home who allegedly intended to murder the judge.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said, “The President condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody.”

“As 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 of violence or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society,” she added.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, Nicholas John Roske, 26, of California, was arrested near Kavanaugh’s Maryland home early Wednesday morning.

Roske was reportedly carrying a knife, a pistol, ammunition, two magazines, pepper spray, and zip ties.

He was reportedly spotted by federal agents wearing all black, carrying a backpack and a suitcase, and got out of a taxi outside Kavanaugh’s home.

The Journal reports, “After seeing agents in front of Mr. Kavanaugh’s house, Mr. Roske walked away and called the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center and said that he was having suicidal thoughts and had a firearm in his suitcase—and said he planned to kill Justice Kavanaugh, according to prosecutors. He was arrested while still on the call.”

“After being transported to a police station, Mr. Roske allegedly told detectives that he was upset about the leaked draft opinion as well as the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas,” it added.