A San Bernardino County man has been charged with three counts of threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump.
The Department of Justice announced that Thomas Eugene Streavel, 73, of Yucca Valley, was arrested on Monday and arraigned on Tuesday in Riverside on a three-count federal grand jury indictment.
“The indictment alleges several instances in which Streavel knowingly and willfully threatened to kill and inflict bodily harm on Donald Trump, who then was the President-elect of the United States,” the DOJ said in a release.
According to the indictment, Streavel allegedly posted multiple messages on Facebook containing deadly threats during the weeks surrounding, but especially following, the highly anticipated November 5, 2024, Presidential Election.
The DOJ noted that for an undisclosed amount of time before the election, Streavel purportedly posted messages to Facebook, “expressing his desire to harm or have others harm President Trump.”
However, the charges he now faces mainly concern the explicit messages he posted after the election about assassinating Trump.
Starting the day after the election, Streavel allegedly posted a message that read, “[T]rump is a dead man walking for the time being until a patriot like myself blows his [expletive] brains out in the very near future.”
The DOJ then provided the following list detailing more of Streavel’s messages:
- On November 12, 2024, Streavel posted a message on Facebook that read, in part, that he was “willing to make America great again and blow his [expletive] brains out.”
- On November 19, 2024, Streavel posted a Facebook message that read, in part, “Let me put a bullet right between the ears of your president-elect…That’s my purpose for living.”
- On November 28, 2024, Streavel wrote on Facebook, “I’m praying for a successful assassination of your president-elect” and “My life’s mission is killing the worthless LOSER [expletive] and my mission starts tonight so watch yourself trump [sic], you are a dead [expletive] and I am your assassin.”
Tuesday’s announcement did not say whether there is any current proof that Streavel planned to follow through with the threats.
During his arraignment, Streavel pleaded not guilty to all charges, which, if convicted, could mean a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
“This defendant is charged with threatening the life of our President – a man who has already survived two deranged attempts on his life,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
A judge ordered Streavel to be released on $10,000 bond, and a trial date was scheduled for July 28.
“The type of rhetoric and threats made by this defendant are similar to those that led to an attempt on the President’s life last year,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States. We will not hesitate to arrest and charge others who engage in similar criminal conduct.”
The DOJ said the U.S. Secret Service is investigating this case.
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