University Students Arrested Over Threats to Trump Ahead of Rally
Three students from the University of South Alabama were taken into custody on Friday due to alleged threats directed at President Donald Trump just before his rally planned for that evening on the campus. This information comes from a source familiar with the situation.
According to reports, the students face charges for threatening the president through social media posts that were apparently made in the days leading up to Trump’s visit. Federal charges were announced on Friday afternoon, mere hours before the president was set to speak at the university’s Mitchell Center.
Federal investigators came across these threatening posts while conducting social media monitoring before the visit. They used emergency disclosure requests and information from the university police to identify the students involved, as detailed in FBI affidavits.
One particular student allegedly made a threatening comment directed at Trump on a TikTok post regarding his upcoming visit, while another student wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that people would “remember the University of South Alabama the same way they remember Utah Valley University.” This comment referred to the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year at Utah Valley University.
A third student also allegedly commented on a TikTok post about Trump’s appearance.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch mentioned earlier in the week that his department was collaborating with federal authorities to monitor social media discussions related to the president’s appearance.
Before the rally, the University of South Alabama clarified that it was not sponsoring the event, stating that the Mitchell Center had been rented by the Republican National Committee.
In an official statement, the university expressed its strong condemnation of threats made against elected officials or anyone else with differing opinions. They emphasized the importance of open dialogue and civic engagement but highlighted that there is a clear difference between free expression and intimidating or unlawful behavior.
Despite the arrests, Trump proceeded with the scheduled midterm campaign rally, marking his return to Mobile nearly 11 years after his 2015 rally during his initial presidential campaign. Reflecting on the past, Trump noted, “It sort of all began here,” while addressing the crowd.
Fox News Digital has reached out to various agencies, including the Department of Justice and the FBI, for further details on this developing story.
