A 32-year-old Florida man is facing federal charges after allegedly posting a series of violent social media threats targeting President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former Attorney General Pam Bondi across a period of several months earlier this year.
Nathaniel Sanders II was arrested and appeared in federal court on Monday following an investigation conducted by the US Secret Service, the US Capitol Police, the US Diplomatic Security Service, and the Miami Beach Police Department. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced the charges on Tuesday.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida, Sanders made numerous threatening posts between January and April 2026 on both X and Instagram. In one post on X, he allegedly wrote: “Imma bomb the [expletive] White House.” In a video posted to Instagram, he addressed First Lady Melania Trump directly, saying, “I don’t know what to do Melania, like, all I got is a gun. It’s the only thing I can use now is a gun.” A separate video allegedly targeting Rubio included the statement, “When I get my hands on him, I’m gonna hurt him. Simple as that.”
The complaint notes that Sanders referenced the fact that he owned a firearm across multiple posts while directing his threats at federal officials, a combination that investigators treated as a serious indicator of potential intent rather than mere online venting.
Sanders has been charged with threatening the president of the United States and transmitting threats in interstate commerce. If convicted on both counts, he faces a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison.
US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones issued a statement following the announcement, stressing that online threats against public officials constitute serious federal crimes regardless of the platform or framing. “Threats against public officials are not political speech,” he said. “The complaint alleges that this defendant repeatedly threatened to assassinate the President of the United States and other senior officials. Those allegations will now be tested in court.”
Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend of the US Secret Service’s Miami Field Office also commented on the arrest, emphasising the agency’s capability to identify threats before they mature into action plans. “It does not matter where the threat is made or what platform is used, our agents will identify you, investigate you, and work alongside our federal and local partners to bring charges when appropriate,” Townsend said.
The case is one of several high-profile prosecutions of individuals accused of threatening senior officials during the current administration.
