--- title: "Judge John McConnell received death threats after blocking Trump funding freeze" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-john-mcconnell-received-death-threats-after-blocking-trump-funding-freeze" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/judge-john-mcconnell-received-death-threats-after-blocking-trump-funding-freeze" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-john-mcconnell-received-death-threats-after-blocking-trump-funding-freeze.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/judge-john-mcconnell-received-death-threats-after-blocking-trump-funding-freeze" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-06T02:25:30.094Z" source_reported: "2026-08-05T19:08:49.000Z" updated: "2026-08-06T02:25:30.094Z" trust_score: 82 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 21 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-06T02:03:24.856Z" --- # Judge John McConnell received death threats after blocking Trump funding freeze *Threats against federal judges rose 57% in 2025, with McConnell targeted after ruling against the administration* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 82 of 100, higher is better. Multiple outlets corroborate death threats. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Clear structure and specific figures. - Hype 21 of 100, lower is better. Mild emphasis in headlines. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - U.S. District Judge John McConnell received at least six credible death threats after blocking the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding in 2025, as reported by The Washington Post and corroborated by the US Marshals Service. - Threats against federal judges rose 57% in fiscal year 2025, with 564 recorded threats, up from 509 the previous year, according to figures cited by the judiciary. - McConnell described an unordered pizza delivery to his home addressed to Daniel Anderl, the son of Judge Esther Salas, who was killed in 2020, as the most disturbing incident. - The White House defended Trump’s criticism of judges as protected free speech, while McConnell and other judges warned of escalating hostility linked to rulings against the administration. U.S. District Judge John McConnell disclosed that he received at least six credible death threats after issuing a temporary block on the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding in 2025. The threats were part of a broader pattern of harassment targeting judges who ruled against the administration, as reported by The Washington Post and corroborated by the US Marshals Service. McConnell described an unordered pizza delivery to his Rhode Island home, addressed to Daniel Anderl, the son of New Jersey Judge Esther Salas. Anderl was shot and killed in 2020 by a disgruntled lawyer targeting his mother. McConnell said the delivery was the most disturbing incident he experienced, calling Salas immediately after receiving it. Similar deliveries were later reported by judges in at least seven states. The harassment extended to online attacks, including a doxxing campaign targeting McConnell’s daughter after far-right activist Laura Loomer posted her photograph on social media. The post was amplified by Elon Musk, who at the time led the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. McConnell’s courthouse received around 400 threatening calls and emails, with some threats directed at his wife and others seeking his home address on the dark web. Security incidents involving federal judges rose 57% in fiscal year 2025, according to figures cited by the judiciary. The US Marshals Service recorded 564 threats against federal judges during the year, up from 509 the previous year. McConnell said all three federal judges in Rhode Island had received threats linked to rulings involving the executive branch over the past 18 months. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the digests or the full report mentioned the specific dollar amount of the federal funding freeze McConnell blocked, though Live Mint described it as “trillions of dollars.” The left-rated digests did not include the two impeachment attempts by Republican lawmakers or the cancellation of McConnell’s homeowner’s insurance, details carried in Live Mint’s full report. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 86% (6) - Centre: 14% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-06T02:03:24.856Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-06T04:30:17.188Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The six left-rated digests led on the death threats against McConnell and the broader pattern of intimidation targeting judges who ruled against the Trump administration. Five of the six digests mentioned the six credible death threats, while four cited the 57% rise in security incidents against federal judges in 2025. Three digests highlighted the unordered pizza delivery referencing Daniel Anderl, with The Daily Beast and Raw Story quoting McConnell’s line: “I don’t think anything disturbed me as much as that did.” - USA Today and The Washington Post’s digests described McConnell’s experience as emblematic of the climate facing judges who rule against the administration. Raw Story’s digest emphasised the sinister nature of the pizza delivery, while nj and lehighvalleylive focused on the death threats as the central detail. None of the left-rated digests omitted the White House’s defence of Trump’s criticism of judges as protected free speech. ### Centre - Live Mint, the only centre-rated outlet to run the story, published a full report that led on the death threats, harassment, and intimidation McConnell faced after blocking the Trump administration’s funding freeze. The report detailed the six credible death threats, the doxxing of McConnell’s daughter, and the two impeachment attempts by Republican lawmakers. It also quoted McConnell’s statement that the intimidation reflects a broader pattern facing judges who ruled against the administration. - Live Mint’s report included the unordered pizza delivery, the 400 threatening calls to McConnell’s courthouse, and the dark web posts seeking his home address. It also cited the 57% rise in security incidents against federal judges and the 564 threats recorded by the US Marshals Service in 2025. The report quoted McConnell’s criticism of the Department of Homeland Security for labelling a fellow judge an “activist Biden judge” and publishing a list of judges it called the “Worst of the Worst.” ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Live Mint](https://livemint.com/news/us-news/federal-judge-reveals-chilling-threats-and-intimidation-after-blocking-trump-policy-11785948834188.html) — Federal judge reveals chilling threats and intimidation after blocking Trump policy - [nj](https://nj.com/news/2026/08/judge-reveals-credible-death-threats-after-trump-ruling-nothing-disturbed-me-as-much-as-that.html) — Judge reveals credible death threats after Trump ruling - [lehighvalleylive](https://lehighvalleylive.com/news/2026/08/judge-reveals-credible-death-threats-after-trump-ruling-nothing-disturbed-me-as-much-as-that.html) — Judge reveals credible death threats after Trump ruling - [The Daily Beast](https://thedailybeast.com/judge-john-mcconnell-reveals-maga-death-threats-after-ruling-against-trump) — Judge Reveals MAGA Death Threats After Ruling Against Trump - [USA Today](https://usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/08/05/this-federal-judge-ruled-against-trump-then-threats-began/91179466007) — This federal judge ruled against Trump. Then the threats began. - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/donald-trump-judge-threats) — Sinister deliveries and death threats hound judge each time he rules against Trump: report - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/08/05/federal-judge-opens-up-about-threats-he-has-experienced-under-trump) — This federal judge ruled against Trump. Then the threats began. ## Questions **How many death threats did Judge John McConnell receive?** Judge John McConnell received at least six credible death threats after blocking the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding in 2025, according to The Washington Post and the US Marshals Service. The threats were part of a broader pattern of harassment targeting judges who ruled against the administration. **What was the most disturbing threat Judge McConnell received?** The most disturbing incident for Judge McConnell was an unordered pizza delivery to his home addressed to Daniel Anderl, the son of Judge Esther Salas. Anderl was killed in 2020 by a disgruntled lawyer targeting his mother. McConnell called Salas immediately after receiving the delivery. **How much did threats against federal judges increase in 2025?** Security incidents involving federal judges rose 57% in fiscal year 2025, according to figures cited by the judiciary. The US Marshals Service recorded 564 threats against federal judges during the year, up from 509 the previous year. **Did any right-rated outlets cover the threats against Judge McConnell?** No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. The coverage was limited to left-rated and centre-rated outlets, with Live Mint publishing the only full report on the threats and intimidation McConnell faced. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-john-mcconnell-received-death-threats-after-blocking-trump-funding-freeze. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Judge John McConnell received death threats after blocking Trump funding freeze", https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-john-mcconnell-received-death-threats-after-blocking-trump-funding-freeze