A 35-year-old former Marine and write-in congressional candidate has been arrested after posting a video calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump.
William Lintang Upham posted a nearly seven-minute video to social media in which he repeatedly referred to the president as the "anti-Christ" and a "false Messiah" before explicitly stating that Trump "must be killed."
In the video, Upham claimed he reached a "turning point" after concluding the country is "broken" and led by "a president who's the enemy of God." He linked his rhetoric to Trump's recent criticism of Pope Leo XIV and an AI-generated image depicting the president in a Jesus-like pose.
Upham described his message as a "call to arms," urging what he called "God's children" to overthrow the administration and asserting Trump would be "killed and sent to hell."
According to jail records, Upham was booked into Duval County Jail late on July 15 at 11:20 p.m. He was held on a U.S. Marshal hold with the charge listed as "threats against the president."
He was released following a first appearance hearing scheduled for the next afternoon. The booking record listed him as a white male, 5'5", 170 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes.
Federal charging documents reveal a more detailed threat. A criminal complaint filed by a U.S. Secret Service agent states Upham posted videos recommending viewers operate in pairs with semiautomatic rifles and armor-piercing ammunition.
The complaint describes specific shooting patterns Upham allegedly suggested would produce "a very high chance of killing the enemy." In an email to a reporter, he wrote that he made the video "to declare war against President Trump on behalf of God."
Upham allegedly stated he would "kill President Trump at the time that God chooses" and that the country "must overthrow President Trump by the violent use of force." He previously worked as a county court prosecutor in Jacksonville and is listed as not eligible to practice law in Florida.
The federal charge of threats against the president carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The U.S. Marine Corps and the Acting Navy Secretary condemned the statements as a violation of his oath and stated he no longer represents the Corps.
A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson confirmed the agency is aware of the comments and investigates anything perceived as a threat toward a protectee. The agency declined to discuss protective intelligence matters for operational security reasons.
