Former Coast Guard Officer Arrested for Threatening to Assassinate Donald Trump – and the media shrugs.
A former Coast Guard officer has been arrested for repeatedly threatening to assassinate Donald Trump—a disturbing case that adds to a growing pattern of political violence targeting the former president.
For a country supposedly overrun with “right-wing violence,” there sure seem to be a lot of bullets and death threats aimed at one man: Donald J. Trump.
Peter Andrew Stinson was arrested for making repeated assassination threats against Trump. Not once. Not twice. But over and over—from 2020 to 2025—using social media to offer up poison, knives, and even himself as a “martyr” if needed.
Oh—and he was a sharpshooter, a FEMA instructor, and according to court records, self-identified with Antifa. But you won’t see that splashed across CNN’s lower third. No “threat to democracy” banner for this one.
In an affidavit filed on Friday, a task force officer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed details about the myriad of online threats that Stinson allegedly made.
In one instance, Stinson reportedly wrote that Trump needed to be “[L]uigied,” on May 9. The post was a reference to Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. – New York Post
Peter Stinson: Coast Guard Officer’s Threats Against Donald Trump
Stinson didn’t just tweet a meme. He talked about poisoning Trump, “Luigi-ing” him (yes, like the murder suspect), and paying someone else to “take care of it.” Authorities say he had drugs on him when arrested and openly admitted that while he lacked the skills, he hoped others didn’t.
On Feb. 2, Stinson allegedly posted on his X account, “Sure. This is war. Sides will be drawn. Antifa always wins in the end. Violence is inherently necessary.”
The most recent post referenced in the document was published on BlueSky on June 11, when Stinson allegedly wrote, “When he dies, the party is going to be yuge.” – New York Post
This is a federal felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. But let’s be honest—if this were a former Marine threatening to kill Joe Biden, it’d be a week-long media circus, complete with tears from MSNBC hosts and solemn calls to “ban violent speech.”
But since it’s Trump? Crickets.
POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Peter Andrew Stinson, a former Coast Guard lieutenant, expert sharpshooter, and former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) instructor has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill President Trump. pic.twitter.com/3MhuY8R84T
— @amuse (@amuse) June 17, 2025
Don’t Forget Thomas Crooks
We already had one real attempt on Trump’s life. In July 2024, Thomas Crooks climbed onto a rooftop at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and fired at the former president, grazing his ear, killing one spectator, and injuring others before being shot dead by the Secret Service.
Crooks wasn’t just “troubled.” He had a Google search history full of JFK assassination data, sniper-range research, and conspiracy videos. The Senate later issued a report condemning Secret Service communication failures—including a missed opportunity to stop Crooks hours earlier.
One near-assassination. One terrorist-level failure. And still? Minimal media scrutiny. Imagine if this had happened to Obama.
More Threats to Donald Trump in Florida — From Jokes to Loaded Rifles
And let’s not pretend the Florida threats were just empty noise either. In early 2025, Justin Blaxton was arrested after calling 911 multiple times to say he wanted to assassinate Trump and “launch missiles” at New York.
Around the same time, Shannon Atkins was arrested in West Palm Beach for threatening to kill Trump online, then claimed it was just “satire” after cocaine was found in his pocket.
But the most serious case? Ryan Wesley Routh, who was caught in September 2024 hiding in the bushes at Trump’s Florida golf course with a loaded SKS rifle, apparently waiting for the perfect moment. He left behind a handwritten note offering a $150,000 bounty to finish the job and is now facing federal charges for attempted assassination.
So, yes, Florida has gone from a punchline to a red alert. Still, the media treats these as isolated “weird news” stories instead of acknowledging the growing pattern of political violence aimed in one direction.
Meanwhile, Iran Is Heating Up
Let’s not forget the international threat landscape. While Trump was at the G7, he left early to deal with Iran’s escalating threats against Israel and potential strikes on U.S. troops.
He warned Tehran to evacuate. Issued a threat of “retaliation like never before.” And now the GOP is split: hawks want airstrikes, isolationists want to stay out. But none of them are denying the obvious: Trump is once again the target, politically, strategically, and maybe physically.
The Pattern No One Wants to Say Out Loud
Let’s just call it.
- The sitting president of the United States has already survived an assassination attempt during his campaign.
- Others are still making threats—and getting arrested.
- A hostile foreign regime is eyeballing him as a target.
- And yet, the media has collectively decided this doesn’t count as a pattern.
Because admitting that Trump is at real risk would mean acknowledging the uncomfortable reality: political violence isn’t just coming from “one side.”
Final Word
A man fires at Trump on a rooftop. Another is arrested with a rifle near his home. A former Coast Guard officer posts about poisoning him. And still no urgency, no national conversation. Just another blip on the feed.
Yes, political violence is rising everywhere. We’ve seen it spill into tragedies that have nothing to do with Trump. But that’s all the more reason to be consistent.
When we start deciding whose life is headline-worthy and whose isn’t—based on politics—we don’t just fail the moment. We feed the next one.
This isn’t about Trump. It’s about whether we have the spine to take political violence seriously, even when it doesn’t suit the story.
Feature Image: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro
The post Former Coast Guard Officer Arrested for Threatening to Assassinate Donald Trump appeared first on An Americanist.
Leave a Reply