EDISTO BEACH, S.C. — A South Carolina judge’s beachfront home erupted in flames Saturday, leaving three people—including her husband and son—severely injured, just days after MAGA-aligned figures unleashed a barrage of online threats against her for blocking a federal probe into voter rolls.
The fire at Judge Diane Goodstein’s $1.1 million Edisto Beach residence is under investigation by authorities, but the timing has fueled speculation and outrage, with critics linking it to escalating violent rhetoric from Trump supporters furious over her ruling.
Goodstein, 69, a circuit court judge, issued a temporary restraining order last month blocking the Department of Justice from accessing voter registration data held by the South Carolina Election Commission.
A Link of Threats from MAGA
The decision drew immediate backlash from the Trump administration, with Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posting on X on September 5: “This [DOJ’s] Civil Rights will not stand for a state court judge’s hasty nullification of our federal voting laws. I will allow nothing to stand in the way of our mandate to maintain clean voter rolls.”
The post sparked a wave of menacing responses from MAGA users. One with over 6,000 followers wrote, “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?”
Another, boasting more than 11,000 followers, called for “Rain Holy hell fire onto these judges who interfere with the Executive branch.”
A third user targeted Goodstein directly: “Diane S. Goodstein, may all your evil wishes and evil deeds directed towards Trump and the MAGA boomerang back and stick to you and yours a thousandfold. Shmsm. Amen.”
Goodstein had reportedly received death threats for several weeks prior, according to local outlet FITSNews.
Details of the Incident
The fire broke out Saturday, forcing her husband, former Democratic state lawmaker Arnold Goodstein, to jump from the first floor to escape, suffering multiple broken bones. Her son was also among the injured, with all three hospitalized.
On the same day as the blaze, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted on X: “There is a large and growing movement of leftwing terrorism in this country. It is well organized and funded. And it is shielded by far-left Democrat judges, prosecutors and attorneys general. The only remedy is to use legitimate state power to dismantle terrorism and terror networks.”
The message, viewed over 6.8 million times, drew swift condemnation from Democratic Congressman Daniel Goldman, who tagged Miller: “Stephen Miller and MAGA-world have been doxxing and threatening judges who rule against Trump, including Judge Goodstein. Today, someone committed arson on the Judge’s home, severely injuring her husband and son. Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this??”
Miller fired back, calling Goldman “deeply warped and vile” and accusing him of pushing “despicable lies, demented smears, malicious defamation and foment unrest.”
He touted the administration’s efforts to combat “illegal doxing, sinister threats and political violence.”
The incident underscores a surge in threats against federal judges, with over 500 logged from October 2024 through September 2, 2025, per U.S. Marshals Service data—an increase from the prior year.
Division in American Politics Continues
Trump has repeatedly labeled judiciary members as “USA hating” and “monsters,” while officials continue public intimidation tactics against judges ruling against the administration.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts warned at the American Law Institute’s annual meeting: “A judicial system cannot and should not live in fear.
The rule of law depends on judges being able to do their jobs without intimidation or harm.”
Earlier this year, Rhode Island’s chief judge reported 400 “vile, threatening voicemails,” including half a dozen credible death threats, after ruling against Trump’s federal aid freeze.
No arrests have been made in the fire, and authorities have not confirmed arson or linked it to the threats.
The White House has not commented on the incident or the rhetoric. As investigations continue, the case highlights the perilous climate for judges amid political polarization.
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