Mathias Busekist
A man has been arrested after threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump.
A 32-year-old American man has been arrested and formally charged after allegedly threatening to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The suspect, who has since been identified as Shawn Monper, was apprehended by federal authorities on Wednesday in Butler, Pennsylvania, following alarming videos posted to his YouTube channel, where he operated under the alias “Mr. Satan.”
In the videos, Monper, on multiple occasions, has declared his intention to kill the president, saying, “I’m going to assassinate him myself.”
Furthermore, he claimed to have purchased several firearms since Trump’s return to the White House and referred to U.S. immigration enforcement officers as “terrorists.”
The arrest follows heightened concerns over political violence in the United States, particularly in the aftermath of an attempted assassination of Trump last year.
In that incident, the president was grazed by a bullet to his right ear when a 20-year-old gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle during a public event in Pennsylvania.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether Monper had any direct plans or means to carry out the threat, but emphasized that all threats against public officials are taken seriously, especially in a volatile political climate.
Monper is currently in custody and facing federal charges.