MAGA Called for Violence Against Judge in Days Before Fire
MAGA Demanded ‘Holy Hell Fire’ Before Judge’s Home Exploded
A judge who has drawn the ire of the Trump administration received a barrage of violent threats before her home was destroyed by an explosion.
South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein was walking her dogs on the beach when her $1.1 million Edisto Beach home caught fire Saturday. The fire, which is under investigation by authorities, seriously injured three people, including Diane Goodstein’s son and her husband, former Democratic Representative Arnold Goodstein.
Before the explosion, Diane Goodstein, 69, had been heavily criticized by the Trump administration for issuing a temporary restraining order barring the Justice Department from accessing voter registration data held by the South Carolina Elections Commission.
On September 5, Trump-appointed Deputy Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon tweeted that the Justice Department “will not accept” Diane Goodstein’s decision.
Ms. Dhillon wrote: “The Department of Civil Rights will not accept a state court judge’s hasty overturning of federal election laws.” I will not let anything stand in the way of our commitment to maintaining clean voter rolls.
A torrent of threats followed, some calling for Goodstein’s disbarment, others suggesting her imprisonment or worse.
“Thanks. I’m tired of these activist ‘judges’ who think they’re leaders. Is there anything you can do?” wrote user X, who has more than 6,000 followers.
Thank you. I’m so sick of these activist “judges” thinking they run the country. Isn’t there something that can be done about them?
— Missy 🇺🇸❤️ (@Amitt52) September 5, 2025
“May the flames of hell fall upon these judges who meddle in the affairs of the executive branch,” replied another user, who has more than 11,000 followers.
“Diane S. Goodstein, may all your malicious wishes and actions directed against Trump and the MGA movement backfire and infect you tenfold. Shame. Amen,” wrote another user.
According to local media outlet FITSNews, Goodstein had received death threats several weeks before the fire.
Rain Holy hell fire onto these judges who interfere with the Executive branch.
— No Privacy (@NoPrivacy16) September 5, 2025
This incident comes as Trump administration officials continue to use public intimidation tactics to pressure judges who rule against the administration. Trump himself has called members of the judiciary “un-American” and “monsters.”
On Saturday, the same day as the fire, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller tweeted that “left-wing terrorism” was “protected by far-left Democratic judges,” in a post viewed more than 6.8 million times.
Miller wrote: “There is a large and growing left-wing terrorist movement in this country. It is well-organized and well-funded. It is protected by far-left Democratic judges, prosecutors, and attorneys general.”
“The only solution is to use legitimate state power to dismantle terrorism and its networks.”
Democratic Congressman and attorney Daniel Goldman, who served as lead counsel in Trump’s first impeachment trial, tagged Miller in a post containing images of the fire on Sunday.
Goldman wrote: “Stephen Miller and the Make America Great Again movement are smearing and threatening judges who rule against Trump, including Judge Goodstein.”
Miller responded by calling Goldman “despicable.”
Miller retorted: “While the Trump administration launched the first-ever government initiative to combat and prosecute illegal defamation, malicious threats, and political violence, you continue to peddle vile lies, corrupt smears, and stir up unrest.”
While the cause of the fire remains unclear, threats against members of the judiciary are on the rise. Since Trump’s return to office in January, several judges have begun speaking out against the harassment and intimidation they have suffered.
From October 2024 to September 2, more than 500 threats were recorded against federal judges, an increase from the previous year, according to data from the U.S. Marshals Service.
Earlier this year, Rhode Island’s chief federal judge told NPR that his court received 400 “hateful and threatening” voicemails, including six “serious” death threats, after issuing a ruling blocking President Trump’s federal aid freeze.
Even members of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts, expressed their concerns at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Law Institute. “The judiciary cannot and should not live in fear,” he said. “The rule of law depends on the ability of judges to perform their duties without intimidation or prejudice.”
