WaPo: Judge McConnell describes threats

The Washington Post on August 5 published a feature centered on U.S. District Judge John McConnell of Rhode Island, who described threats he says escalated after he ruled against Trump administration policies. McConnell told the paper he decided to speak publicly because he was concerned about efforts to intimidate judges and damage confidence in the courts. Other reporting and prior public remarks by McConnell show the threats were not limited to anonymous messages, but included pressure directed at his family and his home. ### Which judge is at the center of this story? John McConnell is the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. He was nominated by President Barack Obama, and his rulings in cases involving Trump administration actions made him a target for criticism from Trump allies and, McConnell has said, for threats from members of the public. (washingtonpost.com) The Washington Post framed McConnell’s account as part of a broader climate confronting judges across the country, not only judges appointed by Democratic presidents. CBS News reported in March that federal judges who ruled against Trump administration actions said they and their families had faced threats, and that many judges were reluctant to speak publicly because of safety concerns. (news.bloomberglaw.com) ### What triggered the threats McConnell described? McConnell said the threats intensified after he blocked parts of the Trump administration’s effort to freeze trillions of dollars in federal funding in 2025. Bloomberg Law reported that McConnell said he received more than 400 threatening voicemails and six credible death threats after that ruling and related orders. (washingtonpost.com) February 2025 became a flashpoint in the dispute when McConnell found that the administration had not complied with his “clear and unambiguous order” to release the money, according to Bloomberg Law. After that ruling, McConnell said, political attacks widened, including misconduct complaints and an impeachment resolution filed by a House Republican from Georgia. (news.bloomberglaw.com) ### What kinds of threats did he say he faced? McConnell said the campaign against him included threats to his safety, threats touching his family, and incidents designed to signal that people knew where he lived. Bloomberg Law reported that one voicemail played during a 2025 virtual event said the caller hoped McConnell would be assassinated. The same report said McConnell described “incredible personal harassment, attacks, and threats” against him and his family. (news.bloomberglaw.com) The Washington Post account was echoed in follow-on coverage that said a pizza was sent to the judge’s home, an act judges have viewed as menacing because similar deliveries have been made in the name of Daniel Anderl, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, who was killed in 2020. Bloomberg Law reported that Salas said judges in multiple states had received such deliveries. (news.bloomberglaw.com) ### How does this fit into the wider pattern of threats against judges? CBS News reported on March 1 that 400 federal judges were targets of serious threats in the prior year, citing the U.S. Marshals Service, a 78% increase from four years earlier. In that same report, judges including John Coughenour of Washington state said they faced death threats after rulings against Trump administration actions. (yahoo.com) Esther Salas, a federal judge in New Jersey who has pushed for stronger judicial security since her son’s killing, said in Bloomberg Law’s July 2025 report that threats against judges had risen nationwide. She urged political leaders to stop using rhetoric that labels judges corrupt or “monsters,” according to that report. ### What has the White House said? (cbsnews.com) The White House told CBS News in March that it was “deeply unserious” to suggest the administration’s comments about judges could lead to threats. The statement said President Donald Trump, as “a survivor of two assassination attempts,” understood the dangers of political violence, while also accusing the judiciary of “brazen defiance” through “unlawful rulings.” (news.bloomberglaw.com) Trump has repeatedly attacked judges who ruled against him. CBS News reported that he had called judges “lunatics,” “crooked,” or “Trump-hating,” and that judges interviewed by the network said waves of threats often followed such statements. ### What comes next after the Post story? The August 5 Washington Post feature adds McConnell’s account to a growing public record that already includes his July 2025 remarks and national television reporting in March 2026. (cbsnews.com) Further developments are likely to be visible through statements from the U.S. Marshals Service, judicial security advocates including Esther Salas, and future court proceedings involving McConnell and other judges facing threats. (washingtonpost.com)