Florida candidate arrested after declaring Trump ‘must be killed’ in military uniform

• Federal authorities arrested Florida congressional candidate William Upham after investigators say he posted videos calling President Donald Trump “the anti-Christ” and declaring that he “must be killed.” Federal prosecutors have charged Upham with threatening the President of the United States.

• The U.S. Marine Corps publicly distanced itself from Upham, emphasizing that he was medically discharged in 2025 and stating that his remarks were “a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold” and inconsistent with Marine Corps values.

• The arrest comes as federal law enforcement remains on heightened alert following multiple assassination attempts and threats targeting Trump in recent years, making any public call for violence against the president an especially serious matter.

A FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE CROSSED A LINE—AND THE FEDS MOVED FAST

A Florida congressional candidate who publicly declared that President Donald Trump “must be killed” is now facing federal charges after authorities arrested him on allegations of threatening the president.

William Upham, a former Marine and write-in congressional candidate from Jacksonville, was taken into custody Thursday after a series of videos drew the attention of the Secret Service and federal prosecutors. According to charging documents, investigators reviewed multiple social media posts in which Upham described Trump as “the anti-Christ,” called him “the enemy of God,” and repeatedly advocated his removal through violence.

The comments triggered immediate backlash across the political spectrum, but perhaps the most remarkable response came from the Marine Corps itself.

“The Marine Corps is aware of the disturbing statements made by William Upham,” the service said in a public statement. “The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values.” The Corps also stressed that Upham was medically discharged and no longer serves in the military.

According to reports, Upham appeared in military attire during at least one of the videos that sparked the investigation. Prosecutors allege the statements went well beyond political criticism and entered the territory of criminal threats. Federal officials say he could face up to five years in prison if convicted.

The controversy erupted after a nearly seven-minute video circulated online in which Upham launched into a bizarre tirade against Trump. During the video, he declared, “There is no doubt in my mind that the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is the anti-Christ. He is a false Messiah, and he is your enemy, and he must be killed.”

Those comments quickly reached federal authorities.

The Secret Service opened an investigation, and prosecutors allege they uncovered additional statements that raised concerns about possible threats toward the president. Investigators also reportedly examined messages in which Upham discussed violence and claimed he was acting according to a divine mission.

Trump has already survived multiple assassination attempts and threats over the past several years. Federal agencies have repeatedly warned that political rhetoric is becoming increasingly radicalized and that threats against public officials are being taken with greater urgency than ever before. The Justice Department has aggressively pursued cases involving threats directed at elected officials regardless of party affiliation.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao publicly condemned Upham’s statements, saying the former Marine does not represent the values of the armed forces. The reaction underscored how seriously military leaders viewed the incident, particularly given Upham’s decision to present himself in uniform while making the remarks.

Critics note that while Democrats frequently warn about “threats to democracy,” some on the far left have become disturbingly comfortable with rhetoric that would spark wall-to-wall outrage if directed at a Democratic president.

Now the matter moves from social media to federal court.

My take:

Let’s make something crystal clear.

You can dislike Donald Trump. You can oppose Donald Trump. You can spend every waking hour posting angry memes about Donald Trump.

What you cannot do is put on a military uniform, stare into a camera, call the President of the United States “the anti-Christ,” announce that he “must be killed,” and then act shocked when federal agents show up at your front door.

This isn’t a difficult concept.

We’re told that words are violence—right up until someone literally starts talking about violence against Trump. Then suddenly we’re expected to conduct a graduate-level seminar on nuance and context. Sorry. No sale.

Imagine for one second that a congressional candidate wearing military fatigues had recorded a video saying Joe Biden “must be killed.” CNN would still be running breaking-news graphics. There would be emergency panels, special reports, constitutional scholars, retired FBI agents, astrologers, and probably a celebrity chef explaining the threat level.

In this case, the reaction from much of the political class was noticeably quieter. Fortunately, the Secret Service wasn’t quiet.

And some free advice, if you’re running for Congress, “vote for me because God wants the president assassinated” is generally not considered a winning campaign slogan.