The White House on Wednesday condemned the actions of a man who was arrested near the home of Brett Kavanaugh carrying weapons and threatening to kill the Supreme Court justice.
“The president condemns the actions of this individual in strong terms and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“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 judges have no place in our society,” Jean-Pierre continued.
Police arrested a man earlier on Wednesday near Kavanaugh’s home in Maryland. Charging documents said the man had called police to say he was suicidal and came to kill Kavanaugh, who was confirmed to the court in 2018.
Documents said the man was carrying a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, a tactical knife, zip ties, duct tape, a hammer, and other materials.
The man was said to be upset about a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court that would overturn the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, which guarantees a woman’s right to access an abortion, as well as recent mass shootings.
The draft opinion, which was leaked in May, sparked demonstrations outside the homes of Supreme Court justices and Republican lawmakers as activists denounced the potential decision.
The White House at the time said it supported protests as long as they remained peaceful, despite Republican criticisms about demonstrators gathering outside the homes of public officials.