Exclusive: New Mexico Man Arrested For Threatening Trump and Musk

A New Mexico man was arrested yesterday for a series of death threats he made on X, TikTok, and Facebook toward President-elect Donald J. Trump, X’s owner Elon Musk, and other unnamed CEOS. 

According to newly unsealed court records, Tyler Leveque allegedly posted numerous times on X on January 3rd, including one addressed to President-elect Trump, “@realDonaldTrump I got my eyes on you sir! Cant wait for your Victory rally! The 19th right!? Lol you and your rich friends are dead no threat a promise” (SIC). Another purportedly posted by Leveque replied to a Tweet by President-elect Trump with just the word “Die.”

On January 4th, Leveque reportedly continued to post threatening comments on Facebook, writing that he had bought his first gun and warning President-elect Trump and “get rich” CEOs that “we are hunting you down! Hahaha I’m getting ready myself! Here we come it ends now” (SIC). Leveque also allegedly recorded videos for TikTok in which he threatened that President-elect Trump and Elon Musk should be “fucking scared” and that he was prepared to die. He reportedly said, “Run, run,” at the end of the video, according to court filings. 

Court records state that in an interview with law enforcement, Leveque confirmed he recently purchased a firearm, that he posted the threatening messages, and “believes this is freedom of speech.” He also allegedly told investigators that he was “frustrated with the government.”

There has been a steady rise in the number of federal arrests of individuals who have threatened public officials. A review of more than a decade of data by NCITE at the University of Nebraska Omaha found that for the last three years, every sequential year has eclipsed the previous one. 2024 marked an eleven-year high for federal arrests of cases of these kinds.

An attorney for Leveque did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s office acknowledged initial receipt of our request. Leveque was ordered detained pending a preliminary hearing tomorrow morning. The case was first reported by Court Watch.

As of publication, the threatening posts are still available on X. 

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