A concerning pattern of threats and violence targeting President Trump, his Cabinet officials and administration members has emerged. Following Mr. Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, these incidents have escalated significantly.
A Pennsylvania man named Shawn Monper, who used the online name “Mr. Satan,” was charged with threatening to kill President Trump, adviser Elon Musk and ICE agents. Mr. Monper attempted to obtain a firearm permit shortly after Mr. Trump’s inauguration and comes from Butler, the same Pennsylvania town where Mr. Trump survived an assassination attempt in July.
Mr. Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, has faced particular hostility. Tesla dealerships have been firebombed, and numerous Tesla vehicles vandalized. In New Mexico, Jamison Wagner faces federal arson charges for attacks on a Tesla showroom and Republican Party headquarters, where anti-Musk graffiti likening him to a Nazi also included death threats.
Other officials receiving threats include Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who received text messages threatening her life from Georgia resident Aliakbar Mohammed Amin. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned these threats, stating they “shouldn’t be tolerated” regardless of political affiliation.
The article notes that threats began immediately after Trump started making nominations, targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Benjamin Ginsberg, a Johns Hopkins University professor studying political violence, observes that currently, “political violence is more likely to be threatened by the left than by the right,” noting that hatred of Mr. Trump and his administration has reached such intensity that “normally sensible people” might countenance violence against opponents.
A survey from the Network Contagion Research Institute found approximately half of liberal-leaning Americans could “at least somewhat” justify assassinations of Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk, while over half considered destroying Tesla dealerships acceptable. The researchers warned about potential “real world escalation” without condemnation from leaders.
The article also mentions Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who survived an arson attack on his residence. The suspect, Cody Balmer, allegedly had political motivations related to the Gaza conflict and targeted Mr. Shapiro, who is Jewish, hours after a Passover celebration.
The president condemned the attack on Gov. Shapiro, describing the attacker as “probably just a whack job.” Prof. Ginsberg concluded by noting that organized violence can encourage “the lunatic fringe” to participate.
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