A man has been accused of making threats against President Donald Trump following his termination from a teaching assistant position at Illinois State University. This occurred after he was filmed flipping over a table belonging to Turning Point USA on campus. Despite being warned about his violent social media activity by federal agents, Derek Lopez, 27, proceeded to post threatening statements online, according to an FBI affidavit.
Lopez was questioned by federal agents after an October 9 online post, just days before his arrest on disorderly conduct and property damage charges related to the campus incident. The affidavit notes that investigators repeatedly informed him about the distinction between free speech and threats of violence, as perceived by others.
After the interview, disturbing posts appeared on his social media. For instance, a video on the Instagram account identified as his depicted a man holding a pistol, followed by an image of President Trump with a crown and a cross on his forehead. The FBI’s investigation revealed that on October 27, another post from Lopez’s account stated, “I’m going to kill Donald Trump, Idgaf,” which remains visible on his profile.
Additionally, Lopez left a comment on a post memorializing Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, who had been killed, falsely claiming to be his killer. He also posted an image suggesting violence against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
During an October 15 interview with Illinois State University Police, he expressed concerns over what he described as rising Nazism and fascism. He claimed not to want anyone killed but insisted some influential individuals deserve death. His comments included ambiguous statements about wishing harm upon those he perceived negatively, indicating a troubling mindset.
FBI Director Kash Patel remarked that Lopez’s threats against Trump are unacceptable within society. He emphasized that such behavior should serve as a warning to anyone considering similar threats, reinforcing the FBI’s commitment to bringing perpetrators to justice.
Lopez’s lawyer has not commented, and Illinois State University has not issued a response to inquiries.
