antithesis yhwach

Screen Rant

Uryu's new schrift power is one of bleach's most broken abilities.

The return of The Thousand-Year Blood War saw Uryu gain a new power through his Quincy heritage, and this ability is wildly overpowered.

• Uryu's new power in Bleach's Thousand-Year Blood War makes him extremely overpowered and a serious threat to the plot.
• Uryu's "A" Schrift power, Antithesis, allows him to reverse outcomes, making him nearly unbeatable in battle.
• Uryu's abilities, combined with his Vollstandig and other Quincy powers, make him one of the most formidable characters in Bleach's Soul Society.

Warning: Spoilers for Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War 's second part wasted no time getting down to the plot, with its opening scenes promoting Uryu to a position of prominence in the Quincy organization, as well as granting him a new power. It's the nature of this new power, however, that just might make Uryu too overpowered for the plot.

In Thousand-Year Blood War , Quincy leader Yhwach gives his subordinates a special power, known as a "schrift," which each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. These powers can be quite strong, as seen with Bleach's Stern Ritter Y , who disguised himself as Yhwach and was able to fight at an incredible level while in that state. While most other Stern Ritter and their schrift abilities have yet to be demonstrated on screen, they're all enough to make their wielders a serious threat, and that goes for Uryu, too. There is one noteworthy aspect to Uryu receiving his schrift, though, and that's the fact that Yhwach says it is the same as his own.

Uryu's "A" Schrift Is One Of Bleach 's Strongest Powers

Uryu was given the "A" Schrift, which in the manga is said to stand for "Antithesis." The Antithesis ability allows its wielder to take what has happened and reverse the outcome. If Uryu were losing and taking a lot of damage, for example, he could use the Antithesis ability to transfer all the damage he had taken to his opponent, while whatever had been dealt to his opponent would be transferred to him. Uryu isn't just limited to using this on himself, or even just on injuries; any two objects that have interacted are eligible for this reversal.

It's not hard to see how this ability could become story-breaking very soon. In some ways, it's similar to Orihime's ability to "reject" the occurrence of events, but the ability to not only undo, but reflect it back at one's opponent makes it far more powerful. While Uryu has yet to use this ability on screen in the Thousand-Year Blood War anime, his first opportunity to do so will soon arrive, as the Quincy launch their final war on Bleach's Soul Society . While the ability in Uryu's hands is scary enough, the thought that Yhwach has a similar ability makes him go from nearly impossible to completely unbeatable, barring the development of an even more overpowered technique.

How Uryu's Schrift Power Stacks Up Against Ichigo

Of course, fans are very much looking forward to the inevitable moment when Uryu clashes with Ichigo. Antithesis is very powerful, and it's especially useful in the hands of someone as intelligent as Uryu. Ichigo, however, has gotten some major power-ups of his own since they last spoke, reforging his Zanpakuto and undergoing some brutal training in the Soul King's Palace. Ichigo's upgraded Bankai has yet to be used on-screen, so it's impossible to say just how powerful he has become, and whether it will be enough to defeat Uryu. One can't forget, however, that Uryu has access to Vollstandig and other Quincy powers in addition to his schrift, and that combination of powers makes him extremely formidable.

Uryu Gets One Of The Many Broken Powers That Appear In Thousand-Year Blood War

As manga readers know, many of the abilities shown by the Sternitters in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc are absolutely broken, or sometimes not explained enough - as is the case with Yhwach's powers that will be showcased later. Uryu has often struggled to keep up with power creep in Bleach , but with this ability at his disposal, that certainly won't be a problem any further. As Yhwach's successor and wielding the Antithesis ability, Uryu has gone from a run-of-the-mill Quincy to one of the Soul Society's greatest threats in all of Bleach .

The Almighty

• View history

Yhwach and Haschwalth share The Almighty , with Yhwach having it during the day and Haschwalth possessing it at night after Yhwach falls asleep. [3]

• 1 Description
• 2 Weaknesses
• 3 Known Users
• 5 Appearances in Other Media
• 7 References
• 8 Navigation

Description [ ]

When a Quincy such as Yhwach or Jugram Haschwalth activates The Almighty , their irises and pupils split in two. [4] [5] After Yhwach was sealed away, it took 900 years for his heart to begin beating once more, 90 years for him to regain awareness, and 9 years for him to regain his power. If he were to open his eyes before those final 9 years had fully elapsed, he may have been unable to fully control his power and accidentally stolen all of the power from his loyal Sternritter . With this power's activation, Yhwach achieves his full strength. [6] Yhwach gains an additional pupil in each eye after nullifying Ichibē Hyōsube 's Futen Taisatsuryō . [7]

• Omni-Precognition : With The Almighty , Quincy such as Yhwach and Haschwalth can see everything that is to occur from the present moment into the far-flung future. They can "know" everything that lies within that gaze. [8] Rather than seeing a linear future, Yhwach observes all possible futures at once like countless grains of sand in the wind, and can thus act accordingly using the knowledge he has gained to anticipate and counter his opponents. [9]
• Future Acausality : Yhwach states that the true power of The Almighty is the ability to alter the future into whatever outcome he desires. [10] He utilizes this power by setting up traps where he knows his opponents will be [11] and preemptively attacking them before they realize. He can also outmaneuver any defense and countermeasure they use to protect themselves in order to facilitate his attacks. [12] He can even rewrite his own death. [13] However, only Yhwach can use this aspect of The Almighty , not Haschwalth. [14]
• Connection to the Soul King : While possessing The Almighty , Yhwach can see the Soul King 's humiliation in the Soul King Palace , as well as his father's state as a mindless and hideous lump of flesh to be worshipped. [15]

Weaknesses [ ]

• Power-swapping : The Almighty switches between Yhwach and Haschwalth, but it is significantly weaker while it is in the possession of Haschwalth. Haschwalth cannot change the future with The Almighty . [14] According to Bazz-B , killing Haschwalth while he has The Almighty will also destroy The Almighty . [16]
• Soul King : The Soul King , as well as his body parts such as Mimihagi , are immune to the precognitive abilities of The Almighty , which keeps them from appearing in any of Yhwach 's visions, even when they are in the same room in the future. [17] The Soul King's left arm was also capable of sealing away The Almighty when used by Ichibē Hyōsube . [15]
• Illusions : Powerful illusions such as the ones created by Sōsuke Aizen 's Kyōka Suigetsu can fool the precognition of The Almighty . [18]
• Past manipulation : The Almighty can alter the future but it is susceptible to abilities that alter the past. After Yhwach rewrote the future so that Tensa Zangetsu is broken, Shūkurō Tsukishima uses his Book of the End to rewrite the blade's past, allowing it to be fixed. [19] Jugram Haschwalth speculates that Uryū Ishida 's Antithesis is capable of countering The Almighty because it switches events that have already happened between two targets. [20]
• Still Silver : If Yhwach's blood makes contact with the silver created in the hearts of his Auswählen victims, The Almighty is temporarily disabled. [21]

Known Users [ ]

• Jugram Haschwalth
• When Jugram Haschwalth activates The Almighty , his green-colored irises become red, like those of Yhwach. [22]

Appearances in Other Media [ ]

• In Ryōgo Narita 's novel Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World , the The Almighty is revealed to originally be the Soul King's signature power, which Yhwach inherited due to being the King's son. Read more...

Gallery [ ]

References [ ]

• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 610, page 7
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 614, page 11
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 659, pages 11-12
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 609, page 12
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 635, pages 4-5
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 610, page 2
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 610, pages 15-16
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 677, pages 14-16
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 678, page 16
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 677, pages 8-10 & 13
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 678, page 12-15
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 684, page 7
• ↑ 14.0 14.1 Bleach manga; Chapter 675, page 3
• ↑ 15.0 15.1 Bleach anime; Episode 390
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 630, page 17
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 617, pages 6-8
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 683, pages 1-17
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 681, pages 15-16
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 679, page 9
• ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 684; page 11

Navigation [ ]

• 2 Ichigo Kurosaki

Bleach: The Almighty, Explained

Allowing Yhwach to look into the future and potentially change fate, The Almighty is one of the Quincy Emperor's most powerful weapons.

• Yhwach's power, The Almighty, grants him the ability to see and alter the future, making him nearly invincible.
• The Almighty allows Yhwach to outwit his opponents by setting traps and attacking before they react.
• Despite its formidable nature, The Almighty can be countered by killing Haschwalth, using illusions, altering the past, or temporarily disabling Yhwach's powers.

The greatest threat to Soul Society and the Gotei 13 in their collective history, Yhwach is the Father of the Quincy, Emperor of the Wandenreich, and the son of the Soul King, wielding power beyond imagination. Although the list of abilities he has at his disposal are incredibly fearsome in their own right, not to mention his immeasurable reserves of Reiatsu , there is one power he wields which is the source of his near invincibility.

Known as "The Almighty," which is also his designation with the letter "A," this ability grants Yhwach the power to plan and account for any unforeseen circumstance that he may encounter. He himself has described it as "the mark of a true Quincy," and it is easily one of the most overpowered techniques seen throughout Bleach . No single Shinigami or individual in the series can hold a candle to its all-encompassing might, which is why Yhwach was able to bring Soul Society to its knees on being revived.

RELATED: Bleach: Who Is The Fastest Shinigami Of All Time?

What Is The Almighty?

Simply put, The Almighty grants the power to peer into and potentially alter the future depending on the user wielding it. It is shared between Yhwach, who wields it during the day, and Jugram Haschwalth, the Wandenreich's Sternritter Grandmaster, who gains access to it at night when Yhwach falls asleep. When either of them activate The Almighty, it splits their irises and pupils, which take on a red tinge. After absorbing Ichibe Hyosube's Futen Taisatsuryo , Yhwach gained one more pupil in each of his eyes.

The powers it grants when active are two-fold. Both Yhwach and Haschwalth can perceive countless futures extending from their present with omni-precognition, and choose how to act accordingly. The futures they see are not linear, but a collection of every potential outcome that could transpire. Next, The Almighty allows its user to alter their future to fit the outcome they desire. According to Yhwach, this is the true power of The Almighty , and only he can use it, with Haschwalth unable to tap into this aspect of the ability.

Following his defeat a millennium ago, Yhwach took 900 years to regain his heartbeat, 90 years to for his self-awareness to return, and nine years to obtain his power once again. It is said that if he had attempted to open his eyes prior to the conclusion of these last nine years, he would have been unable to control his abilities, and might have stolen power from his Sternritter without intending to do so. Being able to fully control The Almighty indicated that Yhwach had returned to his full strength after falling against Soul Society 1000 years ago.

Why Is It Such A Formidable Power?

With The Almighty, Yhwach can look into the future at any point and choose to alter it in order to achieve his objectives. In doing so, he can set traps and maneuver opponents into them, attack enemies before they can even react, or devise moves to deal with the countermeasures devised by his adversaries. This makes the act of outwitting him nigh on impossible, as he can see and react to everything even before it happens.

RELATED: Bleach: Best Shunpo Users In The Series

The greatest aspect of The Almighty is its capacity to undo Yhwach's own death. As such, even if he is defeated, he can nullify the event and rewrite it, reviving himself. This makes him invulnerable to nearly every attack that is thrown at him. He can avoid any potential future that would end in his death. Going up against such an ability would mean certain defeat for nearly anyone, and there are only a few ways in which this can be avoided.

How Can It Be Countered?

Despite how it may seem virtually impossible to deal with, there are a few ways to nullify certain aspects of The Almighty . To begin with, The Almighty is significantly less potent when it is in the hands of Jugram Haschwalth, and killing him while he possesses it will essentially result in the destruction of the ability itself, preventing Yhwach from using it again. Such a proposition would be considerably easier than taking on Yhwach himself as Haschwalth cannot use its power to alter the future, he can only view it.

Next, the Soul King and Mimihagi are both immune to the effects of The Almighty. As such, they do not appear in any of the visions of the future produced by this ability, making their interference in any event an anomaly that cannot be accounted for. Techniques such as Sosuke Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu , which produces powerful illusions, can be used to deceive a user of The Almighty, to take advantage of the lack of coherence in their vision of the future and the actual course of events that will occur.

The Almighty also cannot account for abilities that alter the past, as seen when Shukuro Tsukishima was able to was able to rewrite the past of Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu , after Yhwach used his ability to break it. He did so with his Book of the End, which allowed the blade to be fixed. Similarly, it might also be possible for Uryu Ishida's "The Antithesis" to counter The Almighty with its capacity to switch the effects of an event or action between two targets. Lastly, The Almighty will also be temporarily disabled if Yhwach loses his powers for a time, in case his blood comes into contact with the Still Silver produced in the hearts of Quincy chosen to become his Auswahlen victims.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 – The Separation is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ .

MORE: Bleach: The Best Bankai Designs, Ranked

Bleach: Uryu Ishida Is a LOT Stronger Than You Think

Bleach's most prominent Quincy warrior started off strong but faded fast in the series. But by the manga's end, he became a force to be reckoned with.

The Quincies in Bleach are some of the most fearsome foes that have been ever introduced in the series. In the  Bleach  manga, fans got more of a chance to see just how powerful they are, and among them, Uryu Ishida is easily one of the strongest of them all.

When Uryu was first introduced in  Bleach , he was without a doubt a spectacular character. But it was made clear as the series rolled along that he wasn't as strong as others in the franchise. While he did have some impressive moments, such as taking down the Captain of Squad 12 , Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Uryu otherwise regressed as a character from his first appearance. Fans of the show and manga got to see Ichigo's frightening potential continue to skyrocket while Uryu seemed to fall further by the wayside. It wasn't long before he became an afterthought -- a sidekick at best for some of the most intense battles in the  Bleach  universe.

Related: Bleach: The Quincy, 'Monks of Destruction', Explained

Uryu has, without a doubt, shown himself to be a valuable and useful ally, but unfortunately, his value is placed more on his intelligence and not strength, which is too easy to overlook. But Mangaka Tite Kubo gave fans hope that Uryu would once again return and become an integral, action-oriented part of  Bleach  again when the Quincy finally regained his lost powers just in time for the "Hueco Mundo" Arc . He fought valiantly, defeating the powerful Arrancar, Ciruci Sanderwicci before being bested by the more skilled 8th Espada, Szayelaporro Granz. These two battles revealed that Uryu had indeed gotten much stronger -- but it also proved that he had a long way to go before he could be considered one of the strongest fighters in the anime.

In his next major appearance, Uryu was reduced to playing caretaker for Orihime while Ichigo fought to the death against the 4th Espada, Ulquiorra Cipher. While he did have some cool moments, such as momentarily taking down Yammy Llargo  -- who was considered to be one of Aizen's strongest Espada -- Uryu was once again proven to be mere cannon fodder. This cycle would continue on for some time as Uryu's true potential continued to be hidden from both the viewers and readers of  Bleach . In an almost annoying fashion, it seemed that battle after battle, Uryu was destined to forever play the role of scapegoat for the stronger and more important characters. That was, until the " Thousand-Year Blood War " arc.

Related: Bleach: The Powers & Symbolism of the Arrancar, Explained

With the arrival of the Quincies, fans saw a shift in Uryu's character. One of his fellow Quincies, Quilge Opie, even remarked to Ichigo that it was impossible for even his powerful Quincy abilities to even come close to Uryu's. This revealed that either Uryu had been holding back, or he didn't have access to his full abilities during the course of the anime. What is even more impressive is the fact that Quilge was able to lay waste to multiple powerful Arrancar while also almost successfully detaining Ichigo. Furthermore, when Uryu makes the decision to officially join the Quincies in their war against Soul Society, there are even more secrets about his strength that are revealed.

When the Quincy king, Yhwach finally made his return after centuries, he specifically chose Uryu as his successor. It was revealed that Uryu was a half-blood Quincy who survived Ywach's attempt on his life as a baby. This was so that the Quincy king could regain his powers, but Uryu was the lone half-blood Quincy that was unaffected, making him a very unique case, even amongst full-blood Quincies.

Uryu was the only Quincy in existence to ever be able to resist the king's immense power. This skill is known as Antithesis -- a dangerous ability that allows Uryu to reverse something that has already happened between two targets. The ability was so powerful that even Yhwach himself stated that Uryu's powers would one day evolve and surpass his own. The best example of Antithesis being used is when Uryu was mortally wounded by the king's Grandmaster, Haschwalth, where he was able to use his powers to reverse the damage and heal himself while transferring his grievous wounds onto his enemy. It is a terrifying feat to have at someone's disposal; one that essentially makes Uryu one of the most dangerous and powerful characters in all of  Bleach.

Uryu Ishida's character path in  Bleach  took many twists and turns, even the loss of his powers completely at one point. But though he has been vastly underpowered at some points in the series, he ended up becoming far more than just Ichigo's underappreciated sidekick by the manga's end.

KEEP READING:  The Boruto Manga Reveals The Truth About The Otsutsuki Clan & Chakra

During a test for ADHD, I stopped to write down “Ratatouille is the antithesis to the Lion King.”

i just spent four hours of my life sorting thru my bookmarks and picking fics to make into posters. plz enjoy there is more coming

Exposing myself when I'm in my poet arch

31DOD Day 2 (Day 17)

I have never played either game because I am more of a tile based strategy kind of person so I'm going back to Day 2!!

Choosing a favorite issue is so difficult so I'm just going to slap some down.

Secret Origins (1986) Annual #3

This is a great issue because it recaps a lot of Dick's youth in a really strange angsty way. I also find it hilarious that Dick has managed to make not one but TWO interdimensional demons hat him. Gargoyle and antithesis should make a come back in modern comics. I guess Trigon hates him too but I'm kind of sick of him. (I know Titans Hunt exists but it was kind of lame and very ooc)

Let Them Live: Unpublished Tales From the DC Vault #2

This one is so much fun! It is the kind of crazy comic book stuff I live for. I imagine Dick does this shit all the time.

Nightwing (2016) #9

Dick and Clark are one of the coolest duos in comics! One of my favorite quotes comes from here too:

Nightwing (2016) #42

Another wonderful story similar to the unpublished tales. I also love the implication that a dragon lives in the batcave now. (add another cult to the list of cults that hate Dick Grayson)

Nightwing (1996) #150

This one is super nightwing to me. It brings back his beef with Dent which is always nice to see (and feels very forgotten these days). He does parkour between a bunch of blimps to save the day after not sleeping for way too many hours. 'wing is definitely a workaholic and it shows in this one.

Nightwing (1996) #151

This next one has Dick breaking a world record. Also very entertaining.

Superman/Batman Annual #5

I love this one because Dick!bats is out there fighting for his life against the greatest Justice League Villains while Supergirl gets a therapy session down the hall. Dick and Kara also have the cutest sibling relationship. I miss that for them.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest Issue #6

I've said it before, but I am living for the current world's finest comics. Enjoyable read :)

There are definitely others that I go back and read, but I think these have the best stories.

“He who stands aloof runs the risk of believing himself better than others and misusing his critique of society as an ideology for his private interest. While he gropingly forms his own life in the frail image of a true existence, he should never forget its frailty, nor how little the image is a substitute for true life. Against such awareness, however, pulls the momentum of the bourgeois within him.”

I just saw on wiki what Uryu's schrift was and it's a fucking uno reverse card omg

I love him XD

Rewatch cour 2 and I still like this additional

First I thought it was kind of "Blut". Which make me wonder why he need it to "protect" his eyes ? Its also different from normal blut where the mark is glow dark blue instead of faint-blue one like this... when fight Shutara, Uryu's Blut Vene mark is same with the others

Then there is a scene where Yhwach easily escape from "Cage of Life" after throw his medallion and switch place between him and the medallion, I just realize it was Uryu who help him escape by using Antithesis not Yhwach's Almighty (If its was Almighty, Haschwalt shouldn't surprise since he know a lot about Almighty)

Before that scene, we see this additional scene when Uryu look at the sun of Soul Palace. This make me wonder if this some additional detail of how Uryu eyes looks like when he active Antithesis. Which is very good additional and kinda parallel with this Almighty due to focused on the users eyes (Except instead of extra pupils, uryu has blut-like marking)

Sometimes the best panels are the worst panels. Case in point, this villian's design from Teen Titans #53 by Juan Ortiz

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Frankie muniz reveals he walked off the set of ‘malcolm in the middle’ for two episodes.

• Mainstay Entertainment Producing Doc On Tennis Star Aleksandra Krunic

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EXCLUSIVE: Mainstay Entertainment is producing a documentary on professional tennis player Aleksandra Krunic . Norman Aladjem and Madeleine Buisseret are producing for Mainstay along with sports documentarian Natalie Jowett, who wrote and directed an Emmy-winning documentary on the tragedy of the 1972 Munich Olympics and was nominated for an Emmy as a producer on the NFL Network documentary America’s Game and the Iran Hostage Crisis .

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Mainstay has cultivated a diverse slate of projects across platforms. Feature films in development include the adaptation of Trevor Noah’s bestselling memoir Born a Crime starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o for Paramount and the genre-bending vampire Western The Sun Always Sets in the West set up at Lionsgate.

On the small screen, Mainstay is producing Patti Stanger: The Matchmaker for the CW, which premieres April 11; Disappeared: The Bradley Sisters for Discovery ID (along with its accompanying podcast); De Viajes Con Los Derbez (Season 4 is currently airing on Univision and Amazon International); and a series of I Am documentary films for the CW.

Jowett is a writer, producer, director and visual artist who during 12 years as a senior features producer at ABC Sports and ESPN won multiple awards, and covered some of sports’ greatest events including World Cups, Super Bowls, Triple Crown horse racing and the Tour de France.

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America's death tax is a threat to generational farming in Tennessee so repeal it

This tax was created over a century ago to help fund World War I. Sadly, this practice outlasted the conflict. Farming is generational.

• Congressman Mark Green, R-Clarksville, is chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Tennessee has a proud history of family-owned farms and land passed down through generations. Today, those assets are in jeopardy.

The death tax amounts to double taxation. Dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough. Adjusted for inflation, a family’s estate is  taxed  if it supersedes a net worth of $13.61 million per individual or $27.22 million for married couples.

If an estate is worth $1 million over these thresholds, it will be taxed up to 40%. This is absurd considering land is one of the most valuable commodities in America.  

Major tax penalty is an affront to the American Dream

Tennessee is full of generational farmers whose acres of land have been passed down for decades. The average price for an acre of land in Tennessee is $14,400 per acre . That means farms in Tennessee that are over 946 acres and owned by a single owner are subject to this absurd penalty. 

The United States is supposed to be the land of opportunity. For the last 250 years, people looking for a better life have called Tennessee home. A 40% penalty on the families who made the American dream into a reality is the antithesis of everything we stand for as a nation.

On top of this, the death tax is fundamentally against the right to private property. Our Founding Fathers, a majority of whom were farmers, would have despised this as the worst of taxation. For many of that generation, private property and freedom were inextricably connected. 

More: Financial advisor Paul Allen talks about the 'great wealth transfer' facing Americans

Let's move our tax code into the 21st century

Currently, the U.S. has the third  highest  estate tax in the world.

A death tax is a death sentence for successful farming operations many families have spent decades building.

The death tax is un-American, and it’s past time to bury it. 

Congressman Mark Green, R-Clarksville, is a physician and combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, where he served three tours. He interviewed Saddam Hussein for six hours on the night of his capture. He is chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Republican-appointed judges raise alarm over Trump attacks on law

Federal d.c. judge reggie b. walton warned trump’s attacks on hush-money trial judge and others could lead to violence. reagan, bush-appointed judges decry jan. 6 revisionism, threats..

A Republican-appointed judge denounced Donald Trump’s social media attacks against the judge presiding over the former president’s hush money trial in Manhattan and his daughter , calling them assaults on the rule of law that could lead to violence and tyranny.

“When judges are threatened, and particularly when their family is threatened, it’s something that’s wrong and should not happen,” U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in a live interview Thursday. He added, “It is very troubling because I think it is an attack on the rule of law.”

The unusual media statement by a sitting federal judge came after Trump blasted New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan and his daughter, Loren Merchan, criticizing her affiliation with a digital marketing company that works with Democratic candidates and erroneously attributing to her a social media post showing Trump behind bars.

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Walton, who was appointed by presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush to courts in Washington in 1981 and 1991, said “any reasonable, thinking person” would appreciate the impact of Trump’s rhetoric on some followers, intentional or not. The judge recalled how a disgruntled litigant killed the son and wounded the husband of New Jersey federal Judge Esther Salas at her home in a 2020 shooting.

Since late 2020, as Trump began escalating his attacks on the judiciary, serious investigated threats against federal judges have more than doubled , from 224 in 2021 to 457 in 2023, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, as first reported by Reuters. Federal judges in Washington say at least half of trial judges handling cases arising from the Jan. 6 , 2021, attack on the Capitol have received a surge in threats and harassment, including death threats to their homes, with Trump’s election obstruction trial judge, Tanya S. Chutkan, placed under 24-hour protection.

“The rule of law can only be maintained if we have independent judicial officers who are able to do their job and ensure that the laws are in fact enforced and that the laws are applied equally to everybody who appears in our courthouse,” Walton told CNN. He was prompted to speak out of concern for the “future of our country and the future of democracy in our country,” Walton said, “because if we don’t have a viable court system that’s able to function efficiently, then we have tyranny.”

Walton’s remarks came as several federal judges in Washington appointed by Republican presidents have spoken with increasing urgency about Trump’s disregard for historical facts and alarmed at his increasingly graphic and at times violent description of defendants prosecuted in the Jan. 6 riot as “ political prisoners ” and “hostages” who did nothing wrong.

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“In my 37 years on the bench, I cannot recall a time when such meritless justifications of criminal activity have gone mainstream,” U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said in a January sentencing. “ I have been dismayed to see distortions and outright falsehoods seep into the public consciousness .”

U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan similarly told a group of Georgetown Law School students in January that false claims that riot defendants were acting like tourists or patriots were destructive rewriting of reality. “There’s a danger that is embedded now in our communities across the country,” Hogan said.

“And we have to wonder where this is going to end up if that’s part of our history, this fraudulent story” by Trump that the 2020 election was stolen. Hogan spoke shortly after his retirement after completing 40 years on the bench and sentencing 26 Jan. 6 riot defendants.

Hogan and Lamberth were both appointed by Reagan, and both served as chief judges of the U.S. District Court in Washington, where judges have presided over more than 1,350 prosecutions for the riot that resulted after Trump urged his supporters to march to the Capitol where Congress was certifying the results of the 2020 election.

Five people died in the Jan. 6 attack or in the immediate aftermath, as pro-Trump rioters injured more than 100 police officers, ransacked Capitol offices, and forced lawmakers to evacuate. About 486 defendants have been charged with assaulting or impeding officers or employees, including 127 charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury.

Trump has claimed he is a victim of political persecution by the Biden administration as the two men face a 2024 rematch of the 2020 election, and continues to maintain he won the last time, despite repudiation of his arguments by nearly 40 courts, his own White House counsel, attorney general and members of his campaign. He faces a $450 million civil fraud verdict against his businesses, and four separate criminal cases charging him with paying hush money to an adult film actress, mishandling classified documents, and interfering with the 2020 election results.

Several of the 23 D.C. federal judges who have sentenced Jan. 6 defendants have noted Trump’s role in events, including judges appointed by presidents of both parties. But the recent statements by appointees of Trump’s GOP predecessors is notable in breaking with partisan affiliation. After one Jan. 6 trial last year, Walton called Trump a “charlatan” who led followers into believing unfounded allegations and falsehoods, and who “doesn’t in my view really care about democracy but only about power. And as a result of that, it’s tearing this country apart.”

All three judges have warned of a significant increase in the number of threats they and other judges have faced since the Capitol attack, which Walton called “very, very very concerning.”

“I’ve been a judge for over 40 years. And, this is a new phenomenon. I’m not saying that it didn’t happen before, but it was very rare that I would ever receive any type of a threat,” Walton said. “And unfortunately, that is no longer, the case.”

Hogan told law students threats had increased, “no question about it, I think encouraged by the prior president, unfortunately.”

“I would say half our judges have been seriously threatened” regarding their handling of cases related to Trump, Hogan said in a Jan. 22 law school talk. “It makes you nervous.”

A Texas woman was charged with threatening to kill Chutkan shortly after she was assigned Trump’s case last August, leaving a voice-mail message in the judge’s chambers calling Chutkan a racial slur and saying, “If Trump doesn’t get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly, b----,” according to charging papers.

In January, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron received a bomb threat to his Long Island home, hours before closing arguments were set to begin in Trump’s civil fraud case over which he was presiding.

Authorities are increasing security at the federal courthouse in Washington at a time when Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that law enforcement has seen a “deeply disturbing spike” in threats and attacks on public officials, including judges and prosecutors in Trump’s cases, even as the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee has predicted “ bedlam in the country ” if his criminal cases damage his candidacy.

Lamberth has said he could not deny the facts after presiding over dozens of cases, listening to hundreds of hours of testimony, and receiving thousands of pages of briefing.

“The rioters interfered with a necessary step in the constitutional process, disrupted the lawful transfer of power and thus jeopardized the American constitutional order. Although the rioters failed in their ultimate goal, their actions nonetheless resulted in the deaths of multiple people, injury to over 140 members of law enforcement and lasting trauma for our entire nation,” Lamberth said in January. “This was not patriotism; it was the antithesis of patriotism.”

More on the Trump Jan. 6 indictment

The latest: The Supreme Court will review Donald Trump’s unprecedented claim that he is shielded from prosecution for actions taken while in office. Supreme Court arguments are set for the week of April 22. Here’s what happens next .

The charges: Former president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election in the run-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Here’s a breakdown of the charges against Trump and what they mean, and things that stand out from the Trump indictment . Read the full text of the 45-page indictment .

The trial: The March 4 trial date has been taken off the calendar and jury selection has been postponed indefinitely while Trump’s claim of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution remains on appeal .

The case: The special counsel’s office has been investigating whether Trump or those close to him violated the law by interfering with the lawful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election or with Congress’s confirmation of the results on Jan. 6, 2021. It is one of several ongoing investigations involving Trump .

Can Trump still run for president? While it has never been attempted by a candidate from a major party before, Trump is allowed to run for president while under indictment in four separate cases — or even if he is convicted of a crime.

• Supreme Court sets Trump immunity claim in D.C. trial for April 25 March 6, 2024 Supreme Court sets Trump immunity claim in D.C. trial for April 25 March 6, 2024
• What happens next after Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump immunity case February 28, 2024 What happens next after Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump immunity case February 28, 2024
• Supreme Court to weigh Trump’s immunity claim in D.C. 2020 election trial February 28, 2024 Supreme Court to weigh Trump’s immunity claim in D.C. 2020 election trial February 28, 2024

Bianchi: Richmond Raceway is part of NASCAR lore, but it’s time to drop a race

RICHMOND, Va. — A frequent debate within NASCAR over the past few years is whether Richmond Raceway is a track worthy of hosting two Cup Series dates. The Virginia short track has struggled with attendance, and its races too often lack competitiveness due to strategy and track position being the primary factor in the results.

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That was the case again Sunday night. Outside of the opening 30 laps, when damp track conditions forced teams to start the race on treaded tires and produced compelling action, and an overtime finish that saw Denny Hamlin outduel Martin Truex Jr. for the victory, everything else was typical of Richmond races: little edge-of-your-seat drama, with two drivers (Truex and Kyle Larson) combining to lead 372 of a possible 407 laps.

This is insufficient, and it’s why NASCAR should not continue to make two stops at Richmond each year. Whenever the 2025 Cup Series schedule is unveiled, anything beyond a lone visit and NASCAR would be doing a disservice to itself, its television partner, drivers, teams and fans.

“I don’t know what else you do,” said Hamlin, a native of nearby Chesterfield, Va. “Certainly it’s not fair because I’m biased and have grown up loving this racetrack, so I’m always going to vote for it to have two races, for sure.

“I thought today nobody really ran out too far. I think we’ve seen some Richmond races where some guys get way out there at times when they kind of hit it. We were all just in a wad there for 150 laps or so, a couple car lengths here and there.”

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In recent years, NASCAR has done a good job recrafting a monotonous schedule that didn’t showcase the sport in the best light possible. Among the changes was removing second dates at Dover, Fontana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Pocono and Texas, all tracks that featured lackluster action. In nearly every instance, the decision was justifiable and largely welcomed.

The time is here for Richmond to join this list.

It wasn’t always like this. Richmond’s two races were once labeled as “can’t miss.” The three-quarter mile oval was regarded as one of NASCAR’s best tracks, where the racing was sensational and the grandstands were packed. Richmond went 25 consecutive races with six cautions or more (with 14 of those in double digits) from 1998 to 2010. But after Sunday, there have been six cautions or more there just once in the past 11 races.

Now, the norm is like Sunday night’s race, featuring cars strung out single file, with drivers struggling to pass. The difference came down to which crew chief best mastered pit strategy and which drivers and pit crews made the fewest mistakes on pit road and with track position. Thankfully, a caution with two laps remaining provided a needed jolt and at least a decent finish.

Still, it certainly didn’t live up to its nickname, the “Action Track.”

Not that any of this was a surprise. NASCAR’s short-track package remains a work in progress, and these races have become the antithesis of what they’re supposed to be — full-contact, close-quarters affairs that harken back to NASCAR’s rough-and-tumble roots, where things like aerodynamics and track position were largely inconsequential. At Richmond, quality racing has become a rarity, not the standard.

“From where I was at, it was really hard to pass,” Chase Elliott said. “But it always is, and it just seems like it’s getting harder as time goes on. I mean, (Chris Buescher), (Brad Keselowski), myself, (Noah Gragson), (Josh Berry), we were all just around the same pace. It’s like whoever beat whoever off pit road, it was going to be really hard to pass that person. But the good guys seemed to be able to do it. There’s always a couple that can, and they tend to rise to the top.”

NASCAR has been racing at Richmond since 1953, an important connection that needs to be maintained. Richmond is a legacy track deserving of respect. But for reasons no one fully understands, the racing here has regressed to an often single-file procession where most of the passing occurs as a byproduct of tire strategy. It can’t be blamed on the Next Gen car — the problem was there with the previous car too  — nor is there any apparent fix on the horizon.

“Tires go off and then it gets really, really hard to pass, and you get in traffic, and it really hurts your tires a lot,” Truex said. “But it’s just kind of what we fought here in the past. Pretty typical Richmond.”

Short-track racing is popular among fans and drivers. NASCAR should be adding short tracks to the schedule — as it has with North Wilkesboro, Iowa and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — not removing them. But while NASCAR may currently have overarching issues in figuring out the right rules package for these tracks, Richmond’s woes go beyond this. This is a Richmond-specific problem that can’t broadly apply to other short tracks.

“I think, where else (are) you going to go, right?” Hamlin said. “NASCAR owns it, so they’re going to want to go to another NASCAR track. If they have another NASCAR track, that’s already got a date as well.”

Hamlin is correct. NASCAR’s options are limited. But the sanctioning body is exploring adding an international race to the 2025 schedule, with Mexico as the leading candidate . Any new circuit added to the schedule would necessitate a current race being jettisoned.

How would NASCAR create space for a new race? The leading candidate to be dropped is the spring Richmond race, according to industry sources.

Nothing is official with the 2025 schedule. A lot can and will likely change in the coming weeks and months. But regardless of what the final version looks like, NASCAR should cut down to a single visit to Richmond. Racing here once a year is fine. Anything more than that is too much.

(Top photo of Denny Hamlin taking the checkered flag Sunday at Richmond Raceway: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

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Jordan Bianchi is a motorsports reporter for The Athletic. He is a veteran sports reporter, having covered the NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, college basketball, college football, NASCAR, IndyCar and sports business for several outlets. Follow Jordan on Twitter @ jordan_bianchi