Kansas Man Arrested for Alleged Threats Against President Trump

A Kansas man was arrested over the weekend on accusations that he posted multiple threats on Facebook to kill President Donald Trump during a rally in the state. The Justice Department announced the arrest of Jaden Read, 24, on Monday.

According to a Justice Department release, Read allegedly posted the threatening messages in the comments section of news articles from KAKE News that were detailing Trump's visit to Kansas. President Trump was scheduled to speak at a campaign rally for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Park City, a suburb of Wichita, on Monday evening.

One comment attributed to Read stated, "Let's shoot Trump honestly, where's our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life." He reportedly followed this with, "I just got a 308 and 305 round and I’m killing this pedo."

In a separate comment on another news article, Read allegedly wrote, "Can we shoot him in Kansas please I will myself." Approximately one minute later, he posted, "IK where your speech will be. Already mapped out roofs around. Finna get kirked since yall couldn't help him," which authorities interpreted as an apparent reference to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Authorities apprehended Read on Saturday in Clearwater, Kansas, following a tip about the Facebook posts. Court documents from the prosecution did not indicate whether any firearms were recovered from Read upon his arrest, nor did they state if he had actively engaged in any of the planning he described on social media.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser issued a statement emphasizing that "Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated." He added, "The First Amendment allows for robust disagreement but there are constraints. I caution people to stay within the bounds of constitutionally protected speech."

President Trump did not address the alleged threats during his rally on Monday evening. The White House referred questions regarding the matter to the U.S. Secret Service. The investigation into the incident has involved the Secret Service, the United States Marshall Services, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Wichita Police Department.