Govind Tekale
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Federal judges in America are facing an alarming wave of threats and intimidation. The surge has become so serious that some judges need security details just to work safely. At the center of this crisis is Judge John McConnell, the chief federal judge in Rhode Island, whose story reveals how far harassment has gone.
McConnell issued a temporary block on the Trump administration’s freeze of trillions of dollars in federal funding in 2025. That decision triggered six credible death threats against him. The threats didn’t stop at words. Someone sent a pizza to his home without his family ordering it—but used the name of Daniel Anderl, the 20-year-old son of another judge, Esther Salas. Anderl was shot and killed in 2020 by someone pretending to be a delivery driver. Authorities say the incident appeared intended to signal that perpetrators know personal information about judges’ families.
McConnell’s court received between 400 and 500 threatening voicemails. One caller said they would come after him. Another voice message explicitly wished death upon him. His daughter was publicly identified online by a far-right activist named Laura Loomer, who posted the judge’s photo and personal information after criticizing his ruling. Elon Musk, who was heading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency at that time, shared that post to his millions of followers.
The problem is much bigger than one judge. Federal data shows the US Marshals Service tracked 564 threats against federal judges during fiscal year 2025. During a six-week period in 2025, from March 1 to mid-April, the U.S. Marshals Service identified 162 judges as threatened—more than double the threat rate from the previous five months. The pace has not eased: the service had already recorded 241 threats against judges in 2026 by late May.
Multiple judges have faced harassment. Judge Esther Salas, whose son was murdered years earlier, now watches pizzas arrive at judges’ homes in her dead son’s name. Judge John Coughenour, who ruled against Trump’s birthright citizenship order, was “swatted”—meaning someone falsely reported an emergency at his home to send armed police. Authorities say many incidents appear targeted and intended to intimidate judges.
The threats directly follow judicial decisions. When judges block Trump administration policies, the retaliation comes quickly and viciously. Legal experts worry this creates pressure on the judiciary. If judges fear for their families’ safety, can they rule impartially? Can they apply law without worrying about violent repercussions?
Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill requesting additional funding for security. The request signals that the problem reaches the highest levels of the judiciary. Other judges describe the threats as relentless and personal, targeting not just the judges themselves but their spouses, children, and home addresses.
The threat surge has changed how judges work. Security planning has become part of handling high-profile rulings. Court administration has increased security presence in and around courthouses nationwide. Some judges require escorts to and from work.
Legal scholars emphasize that an independent judiciary is foundational to democracy. When judges face threats for their rulings, that independence erodes. The attacks also raise questions about who makes decisions about public policy. Are threats of violence becoming a tool to influence the judicial system? The current situation suggests that question has moved from theoretical to urgent.
