Federal authorities arrested a Kansas man who allegedly threatened to assassinate President Donald Trump, claiming he had already mapped nearby rooftops in preparation for the attack at a scheduled Wichita rally. The arrest came just two days before the president’s Monday visit, after investigators uncovered detailed plans posted openly on social media.
Detailed Assassination Plans Posted Online
Jaden J. Read, 24, of Clearwater, Kansas, now faces federal charges for threatening the president after authorities say he posted multiple violent threats beneath local news articles about Trump’s upcoming visit. Federal prosecutors report that Read wrote on Facebook asking where their shooter was, stating he was tired of living his current life. He followed immediately with claims of having ammunition and threatening to kill the president himself.
The threats escalated rapidly beneath a second news article. Read allegedly wrote that he wanted to shoot Trump in Kansas and would do it himself. Just one minute later, prosecutors say he posted that he knew where the speech would occur and had already studied the surrounding rooftops. His final comment included language suggesting he planned to take action since others had failed to help.
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Crime Stoppers Tip Triggers Swift Response
The federal investigation launched on October 15 after a Crime Stoppers tip alerted authorities to Read’s comments beneath a KAKE News Facebook article about the presidential visit. Investigators quickly identified additional threats beneath articles from KWCH 12 News covering the same event. Federal agents arrested Read on Saturday in Clearwater, where he remains in custody awaiting a detention hearing. The 24-year-old was charged with making threats against the president.
First Amendment Rights Have Clear Boundaries
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser issued a strong statement Monday emphasizing that political violence and threats will not be tolerated in any form. He noted that while the First Amendment protects robust disagreement and political speech, constitutional protections have clear constraints. Kriegshauser cautioned Americans to stay within the bounds of constitutionally protected speech, drawing a firm line between political disagreement and criminal threats. The swift federal response demonstrates the serious consequences facing anyone who crosses that line, regardless of their political views or motivations.
Sources
Fox News: Kansas man mapped rooftops near Trump speech site, threatened to shoot president: DOJ
Why did they not dispatch him as Biden’s DOJ did to disabled Vietnam veteran Craig Robertson in Provo, Utah summer 2023? This young creep was much more capable of actually carrying out his threat than was the obese, barely ambulatory disenchanted veteran.