On Saturday, a fire erupted at the home of a South Carolina judge, prompting some leftist commentators to immediately suggest it was arson. They pointed fingers at Stephen Miller, President Trump’s former deputy chief of staff, alleging he incited right-wing extremism and violence.
However, subsequent investigations by the South Carolina Governor and the state Department of Law Enforcement have largely dismissed these claims. They reported there is no indication of arson.
“At this point, there is no evidence that it was intentionally set off,” officials stated.
Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein was out walking her dog when the fire started. Inside, her husband, former South Carolina Senator Arnold Goodstein, had to escape through a first-floor window and ended up with multiple injuries; he and two others were taken to the hospital.
In the wake of this incident, some Democratic politicians suggested that the fire might have been set intentionally, potentially linking it to right-wing extremists. One tweet pointed out, “Trump, @StephenM and MAGA World have exposed and threatened judges who have ruled against Trump, including Justice Goodstein. Someone committed arson at the judge’s house today, seriously injuring his husband and son. Will Trump speak up against the far-right who did something like this?”
Representative Yasami Ansari (D-Arizona) echoed similar sentiments, tweeting, “Just yesterday, @StephenM called the judge a ‘terrorist.’ The judge’s house is now burning with an explosion.” She emphasized the need for a thorough investigation, claiming the rhetoric surrounding the situation was hazardous.
Izzy Gurdon, a public relations head for California’s Democratic Governor, also criticized Trump, mentioning that a senior official in Trump’s Justice Department had publicly targeted the judge not long ago.
As of Monday, updates from SLED indicated that the investigation is ongoing. They noted, “There is no evidence that the fire was intentionally set. SLED agents have determined there is no proof to support a pre-fire explosion,” stated SLED Director Mark Kiel.
Governor Henry McMaster confirmed these preliminary findings, urging caution in sharing unverified information while the investigation proceeds.
Efforts by various commentators to connect this incident to Trump and right-wing extremism may now face scrutiny, considering the lack of evidence for arson.
