(NewsSpace.com) – Elected officials often face challenges when they’re in office, and that holds true for the president and vice president of the United States. Many people have taken to social media to express their opinions, citing freedom of speech. One man, however, has seemingly taken it too far, and now he’s facing some serious charges.
On Tuesday, January 23, federal agents charged David Michael Hanson of Phoenix, Arizona, with multiple charges of making interstate threats and threats against the president and successors to the presidency. These stem from posts Hanson allegedly made on social media, specifically X, formerly Twitter, in which he made statements referencing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, such as “#resignation or #assassination your choice,” and posted skull emojis to refer to their deaths. He used several handles, and other posts called for the bombing of the White House. They were made between November 19 and December 23, 2023.
Agents with the US Secret Service reached out to Hanson, who said he was exercising his First Amendment rights. They told him that threats are not protected speech and he could face charges. After he “explained he understood and would not do it again,” he then posted about the phone call and listed his email online. After that, Hanson reportedly stopped posting for a bit, but the reprieve didn’t last long. He returned in late December. Hanson also allegedly made threats to shoot up a university after it withdrew his acceptance to a program.
Hanson was taken into custody by Phoenix police on Christmas Eve, when he was found in a downtown shelter. According to Arizona’s Family, court documents said the man was just seeking attention and that he was blowing off steam. Federal dockets show that Hanson does not currently have an attorney. It’s not clear what type of penalties he faces, but it’s sending a clear message that threats against US leaders will not be tolerated.
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