New Hampshire Man Arrested and Charged with Threatening 2024 Presidential Candidate and Attendees of Campaign Event

A New Hampshire man has been arrested and charged with threatening a 2024 presidential candidate and attendees at a campaign event held Monday morning in Portsmouth.

According to the Justice Department, 30-year-old Tyler Anderson of Dover, New Hampshire, allegedly sent two threatening replies to a text message sent by the campaign of presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday. The message notified voters of an event taking place Monday morning at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth.

The federal charges against Anderson allege that he responded to the campaign’s text message on Dec. 8, writing: “Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!” The second message stated, “I’m going to kill everyone who attends and then f**k their corpses,” the charging documents said.

Ramaswamy’s campaign has confirmed that the event threatened was his. Anderson is now facing federal charges of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire said in a statement that Anderson is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The arrest of Anderson serves as a reminder of the importance of taking threats of violence seriously. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the safety of all candidates and voters in the upcoming election.