A California man who flew across the country with a loaded firearm and the intent to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has just been handed a shockingly light sentence—less than a decade behind bars—by a judge appointed by President Joe Biden.
According to an article by Elizabeth Weibel at Breitbart News, Nicholas Roske, a biological male who now claims to be transgender and goes by the name “Sophie,” was sentenced to just 97 months in federal prison by Judge Deborah Boardman. That’s just over eight years for plotting to murder a sitting Justice of the United States Supreme Court—an act that could have thrown the entire judicial system into chaos.
Even more outrageous, the judge admitted she took Roske’s so-called “transgender identity” into account when deciding the sentence. Once Roske is out, he’ll face supervised release for life. But many Americans are left wondering—how does someone who flew with a weapon, admitted to plotting a politically motivated killing, and targeted one of the highest judges in the land walk away with anything less than a life sentence?
A Chilling Plot Against Justice
This wasn’t some impulsive crime. Roske, who lived in California, bought a gun, packed it in his checked luggage, and flew all the way from Los Angeles to Washington Dulles Airport with one goal—kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
He didn’t just talk about it. He carried a Glock 17 pistol, two magazines loaded with 10 rounds each, pepper spray, zip ties, a tactical knife, a hammer, a crowbar, and even burglary tools. He took a taxi to Kavanaugh’s Maryland neighborhood, arriving near the Justice’s home in the middle of the night.
Luckily, Roske got cold feet and called 911 on himself before carrying out the attack. But let’s be clear—this was a planned and premeditated assassination attempt. And the motive? Roske told investigators he was angry over the leaked Supreme Court draft that showed Roe v. Wade might be overturned. He thought murdering Kavanaugh might tip the balance of the Court.
That’s not just a personal vendetta. That’s a direct attack on the judicial independence of the United States. And now we’re supposed to believe that eight years is justice?
DOJ Slams Light Sentence
Even the Biden Department of Justice admitted the sentence was a slap on the wrist. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a scathing statement calling Roske’s actions “a disgusting attack against our entire judicial system by a profoundly disturbed individual.”
She made it clear that the DOJ would be appealing what she called a “woefully insufficient sentence.” According to Bondi, the punishment “does not reflect the horrific facts of this case.”
Let that sink in: The man carried out every step necessary to commit political assassination, short of pulling the trigger. And a judge appointed by Joe Biden just handed him a sentence you’d expect for a white-collar criminal or small-time drug dealer.
Media Downplays Transgender Identity
One of the more disturbing aspects of the case that the mainstream media continues to gloss over is Roske’s transgender identity. According to documents obtained by The Daily Wire and cited in Breitbart’s reporting, Roske had a long history of mental illness and suicidal ideation, and allegedly presented online as a female well before the assassination attempt.
In a sane country, this would trigger serious questions about mental health, online radicalization, and the media’s glorification of political violence. But instead, much of the legacy press has treated the story as just another blip on the radar.
Had the roles been reversed—if a conservative man had flown across the country with a gun to assassinate a liberal justice—the media would still be covering it around the clock. Politicians would be demanding sweeping new laws. Social media would be flooded with outrage.
But because the target was a conservative justice appointed by President Trump, and the would-be killer now identifies as transgender, the outrage is suspiciously muted.
Dangerous Precedent
This case sets a deeply troubling precedent. It tells the public that political violence—so long as it’s aimed at the right targets—won’t be met with real consequences.
It also sends a message to others on the fringe: If you’re angry about court decisions, if you feel justified by the media’s political narratives, and if you wear a protected label like “transgender,” the justice system might go easier on you.
Our founding fathers created a separate and independent judiciary for a reason. When one man can almost assassinate a Supreme Court Justice and walk away with an eight-year sentence, that independence is under threat.
The Roe v. Wade Angle
Roske admitted that he was directly inspired by the draft opinion leak from the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case—the one that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade. That leak sent the country into chaos, with mobs protesting outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.
At the time, conservatives warned that the unprecedented leak could incite violence. And that’s exactly what happened. Roske’s attempted assassination was the direct result of that political firestorm.
Yet instead of holding leakers or media agitators accountable, the system went soft on the man who was ready to take lethal action against a conservative justice.
Where’s the Accountability?
We’re now in an America where threats against conservatives are treated with kid gloves, and the perpetrators are painted as victims. Meanwhile, pro-life activists have been arrested at gunpoint by the FBI. Trump supporters get put on watch lists. January 6 protesters are treated like terrorists, even if they never stepped foot inside the Capitol.
But a man who tried to kill a Supreme Court Justice? He gets eight years and a sympathetic nod to his gender identity from a Biden judge.
It’s disgraceful. And it’s dangerous.
Credit: This story is based on original reporting by Elizabeth Weibel for Breitbart News. You can read their full article here
