In Port Orange, Florida, a man was taken into custody for making threats against President Donald Trump online, court documents from News 6 reveal.
According to federal investigators, 21-year-old Tranard Dell expressed his desire to harm the president in a social media post dated to March. In the post, Dell wrote:
“@realDonaldTrump every day I wish I could turn on the news and hear that you’ve been killed, shot, or suffered a stroke. You are foolish, and I would personally end your life if you ever visit Florida. I will scatter your brains with bullets.”
Post on X.com by user @rockstarkidd31 on March 20, 2025
After tracking the post back to Dell, a U.S. Secret Service officer contacted him on April 24, investigators added.
“Dell demanded to know what the conversation would be about, to which (the officer) explained that he was investigating a threat posted on Twitter,” the affidavit reads. “Dell became angry and told (the officer) not to show up to his residence or (the officer) would not be walking. Dell also made a verbal threat to shoot (the officer) if he showed up.”
Following the call, Dell attempted to call the officer again, investigators said. After the officer didn’t answer, Dell reportedly sent several text messages, such as “(Expletive) pull up to my (expletives) I’m gone shoot you in your mf face.”
In response to the threats, the officer asked for backup from the Port Orange Police Department, the affidavit notes.
“(The officer) also stated that Dell sounded loud and angry on the phone,” the affidavit continues.
According to investigators, the USSS agent and another officer eventually confronted Dell, who admitted to threatening the agent but denied making the threatening post toward Trump.
But after Dell was arrested and jailed, he told a detective that he’d indeed made the threat against Trump, investigators noted.
“Dell stated that he was upset when he had made the post because he was worried that the Trump administration was going to take away his federally assisted housing,” the affidavit states.
In fact, investigators revealed that just a week before Dell made his post, the Associated Press had reported that the Trump administration was planning to halt a $1 billion federal housing program aimed at funding energy-efficiency improvements in affordable housing units.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Dell has been indicted on a charge of influencing, impeding or interfering with a federal official by threat to murder.
If convicted, Dell faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
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