A former US Coast Guard lieutenant with sharpshooter qualifications in Virginia has been accused of threatening to assassinate Donald Trump in a series of social media posts, allegedly writing that he wanted to “twist the knife” after stabbing the weapon into the president’s “fatty flesh.”
Peter Stinson, a 33-year Coast Guard veteran and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) instructor, is charged with one felony count of making threats against the president of the United States, according to court documents.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Stinson has “self-identified” as an antifa member on his social media profiles and has threatened violence against Trump in posts dating back to early 2020.
According to investigators, Stinson frequently threatened Trump in online posts and conversations by referring to him using code names such as “orange,” “one ear,” “Krasnov,” or simply using the orange emoticon to represent the president.
For example, in February 2020, Stinson allegedly wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that “orange must go,” which translates to Trump, “at any cost.” In April of that year, he wrote that Trump “wants us dead” and added, “I can say the same thing about him,” according to the affidavit.
Three days later, he allegedly wrote that someone was “out to do more than sue the orange mf’s ass,” stating that “It involves a rifle and a scope, but I can’t talk about it here.” Later that day, Stinson allegedly stated that he would be “willing to pitch in $100 for a contract,” implying that he would hire a hit man to kill the president, a notion he returns to several times in the affidavit, saying it would “solve the solvable part of this problem in a crack.”
On April 6, 2020, Stinson allegedly pleaded with someone to “pull the proverbial trigger” on Trump and wrote:
I would do it. I would take the fall to save America. Too bad I don’t have the operational skills to pull it off. I am willing to serve in a support capacity for someone else with the skills to take care of things.
According to the affidavit, Stinson wrote at least three times between July and August 2020 that he would “pull the trigger” on Trump, as well as apparently volunteering to “drive” for the hypothetical assassination because he is “not a good enough shot.”
Stinson allegedly wrote, “Let’s just shoot the orange and put him out of his misery,” on January 3, 2021.
Following Trump’s attempted assassination on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, Stinson’s posts appeared to become more ominous and possibly reflective of real-world planning.
For example, on December 11, 2024, he wrote:
2 things I learned this year: The AK is great for killing people, but if your target is a specific target at distance, it’s not the best tool. Don’t write s— down. Learn to plan in your head, not on paper. & be sure to destroy all evidence before.
On January 29, 2025, he allegedly wrote that “poison” might be the best option, presumably referring to a method of killing the president.
“Poison,” he allegedly wrote two days later. “That may be the only option at this point. Take out 1 and 2. You’ve got to get close to disperse. I need a plan. Anyone done this type of work before?”
Less than a week later, Stinson replied to an online user who was dissatisfied with the quality of public sinks and suggested killing someone by writing, “If we’re planning murders, I’d like to suggest an orange one.”
According to federal authorities, on February 15, Stinson posted what appeared to be a plea for someone to kill Trump, concluding with the line: “He who kills the President to save the country has broken no laws.”
Three days later, Stinson again appeared to encourage a shooter.
“Take a shot. “We’ll deal with the fallout,” he allegedly stated on the social media app Bluesky. “The only political solution is impeachment. The only realistic solution is to use violence.”
Two days later, he allegedly wrote: “I would twist the knife after sliding it into his fatty flesh.”
On February 26, Stinson allegedly wrote: “One well-placed shot would open up a whole new reality” and “Can orange explode?”
In March 2025, Stinson wrote of Trump, “He needs to be luigied,” an apparent reference to Luigi Mangione, the man charged with assassinating United Healthcare’s CEO in New York City on December 4, 2024.
Other posts by Stinson allegedly include him writing:
- “He’d look and sound better with a big red hole in his orange head,” in February 2025.
- “We know how it ends. In his third term. A couple of rounds to the chest cowering on the floor in the Oval Office,” in March 2025.
- “When he dies, the party is going to be yuge,” in June 2025.
Stinson appeared on Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis, who ordered him held without bond pending his June 18 hearing.
