By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, September 20, 2025U.S. Judge Brett Kavanaugh looks on as the U.S. President announces him as his nominee to the Supreme Court in the East Room of the White House on July 9, 2018, in Washington, D.C. | SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesNicholas Roske, who admitted to attempting to assassinate Brett Kavanaugh, a sitting U.S. Supreme Court justice, now identifies as transgender and faces a potential life sentence in federal prison. Prosecutors are asking the court to impose a punishment of at least 30 years, citing the nature of the crime as an attack on the core of the U.S. government.Roske, who pleaded guilty in April to attempting to assassinate Kavanaugh in 2022, admitted he traveled from California to the suburbs of Washington, D.C., with weapons and had plans to break into the justice’s home. Roske had initially planned to take his own life after carrying out the killing, but ultimately called 911 and surrendered without violence. Federal prosecutors on Friday filed a sentencing recommendation stating that Roske’s actions amounted to domestic terrorism and required a severe sentence, The Hill reported. They said Roske, who was carrying a handgun, ammunition, zip ties, a crowbar, duct tape and other tools, posed a “very real threat to life” and intended to “alter an entire branch of the United States government through violence.”On Friday, Roske’s defense attorneys submitted their sentencing memo, disclosing that their client now identifies as transgender and uses the name Sophie, according to Politico.The Justice Department said Roske had researched four justices and intended to kill as many as three, although only Kavanaugh was named in the filings.In online messages, Roske allegedly expressed anger about abortion and same-sex marriage rulings, and used a Discord account under the handle Sophie42#6535 to share frustrations after the draft Dobbs v. Jackson opinion was leaked in May 2022.Roske was arrested early on the morning of June 8, 2022, outside Kavanaugh’s home. He had been spotted by U.S. marshals stationed outside the residence but walked away before making the emergency call. Authorities said he had texted his sister, who persuaded him to contact police.Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department took him into custody nearby.In the hours after the arrest, Roske told a special agent he had been suicidal “for a long time” and that the leaked abortion opinion pushed him toward action. “I was under the delusion that I could make the world a better place by killing him,” he said, according to a transcript of his interview that was released in January.Prosecutors stated that Roske’s planning began months before the Dobbs opinion surfaced. They said he had studied serial killers and murder techniques online and was preparing to commit violence before focusing on the Supreme Court. A post-arrest search of his digital history revealed a pattern of preparation and intent.The Justice Department argued that Roske’s mental illness, while documented, did not cause or excuse the attempt. They added that Roske’s crime sparked a wave of threats toward judges and justices, including a letter sent to Kavanaugh referencing Roske’s name and stating the justice should “Die.”On Friday, Roske’s defense attorneys requested an eight-year sentence, citing long-standing struggles with gender identity and mental health.Roske remains charged under his legal name and has not asked the court to officially change the case caption. However, the public defenders said they would refer to their client as Sophie and use female pronouns “out of respect.” They also said he was taking medication at the time of the incident that had affected his behavior and judgment.In a handwritten letter filed with the court Friday, Roske expressed remorse. “I put them through a harrowing experience and for that I am truly sorry,” he wrote of Kavanaugh and his family. “I am very glad I did not continue.”Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement on the case, calling Roske’s actions “an attack on the entire judicial system that cannot go unpunished.”U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, who is based in Greenbelt, Maryland, is scheduled to sentence Roske on Oct. 3. Prosecutors said a victim impact statement may be submitted ahead of the hearing.
Attempted Kavanaugh assassin identifies as transgender
