Texas Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill Trump

A Texas man was arrested Thursday after allegedly making violent threats against President Donald Trump on Facebook ahead of the president’s visit to Kerrville, according to federal officials.

Robert Herrera, 52, of San Antonio, was charged with making threats against the president and interstate threatening communications, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

The alleged threats were posted on a local news outlet’s Facebook page discussing Trump’s upcoming visit to the Hill Country after deadly Fourth of July flooding. The outlet has not been publicly identified by law enforcement.

According to a Department of Justice release, Herrera, using the name "Robert Herrer," allegedly posted the phrase "I won’t miss" beneath a photo of Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents after the July 2024 assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.

When another user responded, "you won’t get the chance, I promise," Herrera allegedly replied, "I’ll just come for you," attaching a photo of himself holding what appeared to be a rifle and loaded magazines.

The posts have since been removed, and federal agents arrested Herrera later that day. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison per charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg is prosecuting the case.

"While the FBI fully supports and defends every American’s right to free speech, it is important to understand that threatening violence against any individual is not constitutionally protected speech, it is a federal crime," Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office said in the release.

"The FBI and our partners take threats of violence seriously, and we urge the public to do the same. We would like to thank the United States Secret Service, the San Antonio Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the United States Attorney's Office for their tremendous partnership in addressing this threat against the president.

"We urge all members of the public to express their views peacefully and respectfully in a manner consistent with the values that define our nation."

"I would like to thank the San Antonio Police Department and the FBI San Antonio Field Office for assisting the U.S. Secret Service in this matter," Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Gibson of the U.S. Secret Service San Antonio Field Office said in the release.

"Investigating threats towards individuals under Secret Service protection are treated as our highest priority. This is one of the countless reasons the Secret Service prides ourselves on forging and maintaining relationships with other law enforcement agencies. As this is an ongoing investigation, the Secret Service will have no further comment on this incident."

Trump and the first lady traveled to Kerrville Friday to survey flood damage and meet with first responders. In remarks on the ground, Trump said the federal government would provide "whatever relief Texas needs."

The arrest comes almost one year to the day after Trump survived an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally. In that incident, a rooftop gunman fired at Trump from roughly 150 yards away, grazing his right ear and killing one attendee, Corey Comperatore, before Secret Service agents shot the attacker dead.