Marshals’ Data Shows Spike in Threats Against Federal Judges
Threats against federal judges have risen drastically since President Trump took office, according to internal data compiled by the U.S. Marshals Service.
In the five-month period leading up to March 1 of this year, 80 individual judges had received threats, the data shows.
Then, over the next six weeks, an additional 162 judges received threats, a dramatic increase. That spike in threats coincided with a flood of harsh rhetoric — often from Mr. Trump himself — criticizing judges who have ruled against the administration and, in some cases, calling on Congress to impeach them.
Many judges have already spoken out, worrying about the possibility of violence and urging political leaders to tone things down.
Since mid-April, the pace of the threats has slowed slightly, the data shows. Between April 14 and May 27, it shows 35 additional individual judges received threats. Still, the total number of judges threatened this fiscal year — 277 — represents roughly a third of the judiciary.
The threat data was not released publicly but was provided to The New York Times by Judge Esther Salas of Federal District Court for New Jersey, who said she obtained it from the Marshals Service, which is tasked by law with overseeing security for the judiciary.
In 2020, Judge Salas’ son, Daniel Anderl, was shot and killed at the entrance of her home by a self-described “anti-feminist” lawyer, and since then she has advocated judicial safety.
“This has nothing to do with hysteria or hyperbole,” she said in an interview. “These numbers tell a dramatic story. They show a spike that ought to be alarming and concerning to everyone.”
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