Illinois Teaching Assistant Arrested for Threatening Trump
A teaching assistant from Illinois State University, who had previously been fired for aggressively overturning a table set up by Turning Point USA on campus, has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill President Trump.
Derek Lopez, 27, was taken into custody earlier this week after making a series of disturbing posts on social media, including a declaration that he intended to “kill Donald Trump,” as reported by federal authorities.
In one particular post, Lopez shared a video showing a man aiming a gun at a photo of President Trump, which had a target overlay, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
He also mentioned that the current government shutdown provided a prime opportunity to target the president.
In a comment on one of the Secret Service’s Instagram posts, he allegedly remarked, “Now is the perfect time to kill the president! The Secret Service is dysfunctional!”
Lopez now faces federal menacing charges, which could result in a five-year prison sentence if he is found guilty, according to prosecutors.
The FBI’s director, Kash Patel, commented on the matter, stating, “The threats this individual allegedly posted against President Trump are heinous and have no place in our society.” He added that anyone who threatens violence against public officials or citizens will be pursued and brought to justice.
This incident comes just two weeks after Lopez was dismissed from his job as a teaching assistant following a viral video that showed him flipping tables in an outburst. In that footage, he was seen attacking a table where the campus’s TPUSA chapter was promoting upcoming events, saying, “Well, Jesus did it, so I know I have to do it too, right?” before causing chaos as flyers and pins scattered everywhere.
Before leaving the scene, he sarcastically thanked everyone and wished them a nice day.
Following this disturbance, local police arrested him and charged him with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.
