Bruce Reinhart, Florida judge who approved FBI raid on Trump home, faces storm of death threats
- US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart signed off on FBI search warrant of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate
- Reinhart has faced vitriol from Trump supporters, and judge’s home address was posted on right-wing sites
Hundreds of US federal judges face the same task every day: review an affidavit submitted by federal agents and approve requests for a search warrant.
But for US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, the fallout from his decision to approve a search warrant has been far from routine.
He has faced a storm of death threats since his signature earlier this month cleared the way for the FBI to search former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as part of a probe into whether he inappropriately removed sensitive materials from the White House.
Reinhart’s home address was posted on right-wing sites, along with antisemitic slurs. The South Florida synagogue he attends cancelled its Friday night Shabbat services in the wake of the uproar.
Trump has done little to lower the temperature among his supporters, decrying the search as political persecution and calling on Reinhart to recuse himself in the case because he has previously made political donations to Democrats. Reinhart has also, however, contributed to Republicans.
The threats against Reinhart are part of a broader attack on law enforcement, particularly the FBI, by Trump and his allies in the aftermath of the search.
