A Los Angeles podcaster has been arrested after making repeated calls for the assassination of the president and urging his followers to harass Trump’s personal attorney and his family, according to prosecutors.
Benjamin Azariah Southworth, who is 40, was taken into custody on Thursday. He faces charges that include making threats against the president, cyberstalking, and making harassing phone calls across state lines.
In some of his posts, which allegedly appeared on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and his own site from January to May, Southworth is quoted saying things like, “Kill Donald Trump. Kill that motherf**king pedophile in the White House.”
Court filings indicate that one such message was posted on Instagram on March 31, where he linked the Supreme Court’s ruling on conversion therapy to his desire to express his views as a survivor. The post concluded with, “Kill Donald Trump. Kill that motherf**king pedophile in the White House.”
In another message, he was noted to have written, “I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump.” He described the government as “illegitimate and out of control” and emphasized the need for “course correction.” The harassment of Trump’s attorney Jay Sekulow was also mentioned after Southworth shared his personal details to incite his followers against him, declaring, “No peace for traitors.”
Southworth calls himself a “GLAAD-award-nominated artivist” on his website, where he claims to challenge various forms of bigotry, including anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments.
No immediate response was received from Sekulow’s office regarding the situation.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney, warned that there would be “zero tolerance” for threats against elected officials, especially the president. He stated that threatening someone with violence is a serious offense, and Southworth learned that firsthand with his arrest.
