A Florida man has been arrested and charged with making written threats to kill former President Donald Trump, Senator JD Vance, and their families. Michael M. Wiseman, 68, was taken into custody by the Jupiter Police Department on Friday.
The police reported that Wiseman had posted multiple threats on his Facebook account targeting Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and Vance, the vice presidential nominee. The threats were made shortly after an assassination attempt on Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The Jupiter Police Department was alerted to these threats by several community members.
Jupiter, Florida, is located about 20 miles north of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach. The investigation was conducted in collaboration with the United States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
Florida man arrested for death threats
During the investigation, Wiseman admitted to making the posts, according to the Jupiter Police Department. He was taken into custody without incident, and investigators did not find any weapons in his possession. Deputy Chief Michael Barbera with the Jupiter Police Department emphasized the seriousness of such threats, stating, “We take all threats to human beings seriously.
When you get on that keyboard and want to post to social media, really think about what you’re saying or putting out there.”
Former FBI Agent Stuart Kaplan noted that written threats and similar crimes happen often, although the public may not always hear about them. “It’s not unusual. We don’t hear about it, but the United States Secret Service does in fact arrest many people throughout the year in connection with threatening the president, the vice president, and other dignitaries that they are tasked to protect,” Kaplan said.
According to the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, the threats are a second-degree felony and are punishable by up to 15 years in prison. As of Friday night, Wiseman was in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail.
