US ex-coast guard sharpshooter charged over alleged threats to kill Trump

A retired U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant and former sharpshooter has been arrested for allegedly making repeated threats to kill Donald Trump.

Peter Stinson, who served in the Coast Guard for 33 years until 2021 and later worked as a FEMA instructor, is accused of posting a series of threatening messages on social media between 2020 and 2025, Caliber.Az reports, citing US media.

A 19-page FBI affidavit details dozens of posts in which Stinson reportedly discussed using weapons or poison against the former president.

According to prosecutors, Stinson claimed he lacked the ability to carry out an assassination himself but was willing to help raise funds for a “contract hit” or assist in a support role. Days after the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania in 2024, Stinson allegedly wrote, “Just three inches and today would be a different day,” criticising the would-be assassin’s aim.

Last week, he allegedly posted, “When he dies, the party is going to be yuge,” prompting fresh legal action. A federal judge has now ordered Stinson to remain in custody while the case proceeds in Virginia.

Authorities say Stinson described himself as a member of ANTIFA, a loosely organised anti-fascist movement. His lawyer declined to comment.

In recent years, U.S. prosecutors have pursued multiple cases involving threats against public figures, including Trump, President Joe Biden, and other officials. Threatening a president carries a sentence of up to five years, although courts often hand down lighter punishments.

The arrest comes amid a wider rise in political threats. Earlier this month, a Romanian man admitted to running a scheme targeting politicians with bomb threats and fake emergency calls.

It was also reported that judges have been subjected to intimidation tactics, including anonymous food deliveries aimed at revealing their home addresses.

By Aghakazim Guliyev