50-Year-Old Woman Released After Threat Against Trump
A 50-year-old woman, who faced charges for threatening President Donald Trump on social media, was released by a judge on Wednesday. She has been ordered to see a psychiatrist as part of her release conditions, according to court documents.
Natalie Rose Jones, originally from Indiana, was arrested in Washington, D.C., on August 16 after making a series of threatening posts online. According to the District of Columbia’s U.S. Attorney General, “she threatened to kill President Trump,” as detailed in a press release.
Documents indicated that the U.S. Secret Service described her Instagram post as dictatorial. In it, she called Trump a terrorist and claimed he caused “an extreme and unnecessary loss of life related to the coronavirus.”
On August 6, she allegedly directed a post at the FBI. By August 15, Secret Service agents had a voluntary interview with her, during which she reportedly stated she would “take the president’s life” if given the chance. She also mentioned possessing “an object with a blade” for her “mission of killing” Trump.
During that interview, Jones labeled Trump a “Nazi” and a “terrorist,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In a subsequent interview, she supposedly admitted to having made threats against Trump but denied a current desire to harm him. She was arrested the day after participating in a demonstration near the White House.
Court documents revealed on Monday that Jones’ detention order complaint was signed by Judge James Boasberg. The judge mandated her release by 8 a.m. Wednesday.
As part of her release, Jones will have to wear a GPS monitor and is to drive directly to New York City, where she is a resident.
On Tuesday, a Federal Grand Jury opted not to indict her based on the evidence presented by the Department of Justice. Her lawyer, Mary Manning Petras, indicated that “the weight of the evidence is weak given the findings.” She noted that while the government might attempt to pursue charges again, the core evidence remains unchanged, resulting in no prosecution.
