Rutgers University professor Mark Bray has detailed his decision to leave the United States with his family, citing alleged death threats and a hostile political climate following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. His new book, "Unpunctuated Death Threats: Notes from a Fascist Present," scheduled for release Jan. 19, chronicles this departure and characterizes modern America as experiencing a "fascist present."

Bray, an assistant professor of history at Rutgers and author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook," stated he received multiple death threats and had his home address circulated online. He alleged that federal agents questioned him and his family at the airport before they departed for Spain.

According to the book's publisher, Bray's decision to leave was prompted by the atmosphere after Kirk's murder. The description asserts that the "Trumpian moment and the new fascism it has birthed—a world of far-right influencers, social media soldiers, and networked violence—chased the author into hiding," making the U.S. a country to flee from.

Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his "American Comeback Tour." The publisher connects Bray's departure directly to the aftermath of this event, stating it "left him a wreck."

Bray, who has previously expressed strong support for "antifacism" and advocated for "militant anti-fascism," has faced scrutiny from some students. Members of Rutgers' Turning Point USA chapter launched a petition last October to have Bray removed, citing concerns over his past statements and his advocacy, which includes directing proceeds from his book "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook" to an international anti-fascist defense fund.

One Rutgers student, Megan Doyle, described Bray's portrayal of himself as a victim as ironic, given his advocacy for political violence and donations to an Antifa legal defense fund. Doyle also questioned Bray's continued employment at Rutgers, funded by New Jersey taxpayers, while he resides abroad "for safety reasons."

Bray's other published works include "The Anarchist Inquisition: Assassins, Activists, and Martyrs in Spain and France" and "Translating Anarchy: The Anarchism of Occupy Wall Street."

In a previous social media post on Bluesky, Bray wrote, "Only mass antifascism, legal or not, can save us," suggesting a belief that reliance on the law could be insufficient against potential shifts in governance.