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As reports of left-wing political violence grow harder to ignore, liberal journalists are scrambling to rewrite the narrative. Rather than confront the reality that political aggression is increasingly coming from their own side, they’ve resorted to fabrication, pushing a baseless conspiracy theory that a South Carolina judge’s beach house fire was the work of right-wing arsonists. The goal is transparent: to “both-sides” violence and preserve the illusion of moral superiority, even as investigators found no trace of foul play and evidence mounts that the real escalation is coming from the left.
The blaze broke out on October 4, 2025, consuming a beachfront home on Edisto Beach in Colleton County owned by Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein and her husband, Arnold. Responding agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) found no indications of arson or explosion. “At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “SLED Agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.” Keel urged the public and press to avoid spreading unverified speculation while the investigation continues.
Nevertheless, online narratives linking the fire to Goodstein’s judicial rulings spread rapidly, according to The State. In September, Goodstein had temporarily blocked the State Election Commission from releasing private voter data—such as phone numbers and partial Social Security numbers—to the Trump administration’s Justice Department. Although the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned her order on September 11 and a subsequent motion was denied on October 1, activists framed the fire as retaliation.
A TikTok account with three million followers claimed, “You’re really not going to believe this one,” while tying the incident to Goodstein’s ruling. U.S. Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., went further, alleging on X that “Trump … 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.” These assertions persisted even after SLED’s arson team—using field tests and possibly a detection dog—reported no trace of accelerants.
Even Time Magazine claimed that the house was “set ablaze” without any evidence of that fact.
Hey @TIME where is the retraction? Do you really think a tiny note in the corner that just says “Updated” and quietly changing your headline is responsible journalism? You think the journalist who wrote this inflammatory article represents you well? https://t.co/U2m5mFDuES pic.twitter.com/HJKWjoP8H3
— FreshOutOfPatience (@noname131252) October 7, 2025
Chief Justice John W. Kittredge confirmed SLED’s involvement and enhanced local security. In an internal message to state judges, he wrote that the Goodsteins were safe after “an apparent explosion” destroyed their home. Arnold, 81, sustained multiple fractures after leaping from a second-story window with his son and two grandchildren. A family acquaintance said Arnold “helped his son and grandchildren escape” and that “the Goodstein family has never believed it was arson.”
Unlike the left, which saw thousands praise the Kirk assassination. The fire at Goodstein’s house was immediately criticized from conservatives while arson rumors flew:
Update: South Carolina fire officials have 100% confirmed this fire was not arson
This essentially confirms that we already knew, that political violence is coming from only one side of the political aisle.
And it’s not the Right.
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) October 6, 2025
SLED spokeswoman Renée Wunderlich said more than 50 outlets—including CNN and Fox News—contacted the agency before Keel’s statement quieted the rumors.
The episode shows that liberal outlets understand that they have a violence problem on their own side. Recently, researchers warned of escalating left-wing radicalism growing out of control. A study by the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University found a growing “assassination culture” in progressive online spaces, where violence is romanticized through memes and slogans. Nearly half of left-of-center respondents justified “murdering Elon Musk,” and 55% said the same of former President Trump.
Such rhetoric turned deadly last month when 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, motivated by anti-conservative sentiment, assassinated activist Charlie Kirk during a Utah speech. Robinson later wrote, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Liberal news outlets drew criticism for portraying the act as “tragic but understandable,” showing how deranged they have become.
The rush to frame the Goodstein fire as political revenge reveals how far the left will go to shield its own from scrutiny. Faced with mounting evidence that violence is rising in its own ranks, the activist press would rather invent right-wing villains than confront the rot within its movement. The result isn’t journalism: it’s narrative maintenance disguised as outrage and concern.
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