After allegedly making threats online about killing President Donald Trump, a former Coast Guard lieutenant has been arrested. The suspect, Peter Stinson, is a Virginia resident. From 1988 to 2021, Stinson served in the United States Coast Guard. He trained as a sharpshooter and as a FEMA instructor during that time.
On Friday, a task force officer filed an affidavit on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The affidavit revealed details about the record of online threats allegedly made by Stinson against the president.
The affidavit also detailed how Stinson identified himself as a member of Antifa "including in his profile descriptions for his Bluesky account @cgblue ('BLUESKY ACCOUNT 1') and X account @bluecheckpeter ('X ACCOUNT 1'), and in multiple postings on these accounts."
On February 2, 2025, Stinson allegedly posted on his Bluesky account: “Sure. This is war. Sides will be drawn. Antifa always wins in the end. Violence is inherently necessary.”
On X the same day, Stinson posted the following series of messages and replies, which are not publicly viewable:
“I’d pull the trigger. But I’m not a good enough shot.”
"I'll drive."
"I'm willing to drive."
"He needs to be punched to a different reality."
Previously, on January 3, 2021, Stinson allegedly posted on X: “Let’s just shoot the orange and put him out of his misery.”
The "orange" is likely a reference to Present Trump that appears throughout the record of posts allegedly made by Stinson. Similar statements were made on Reddit, Instagram, and Bluesky accounts that the FBI alleges belong to Stinson.
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On December 11, 2024, Stinson posted on Blueksy, “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 shit down. Learn to plan in your head, not on paper. & be sure to destroy all evidence before.”
More recently, on February 15, 2025, Stinson asked: “Today, someone will have the means and opportunity. Do they have the motive? And the will?” He subsequently posted, “He who kills the President to save the country has broken no laws."
The document also alleges that Stinson made several references to 8647, which government officials say "is likely in reference to an Instagram post made by former FBI Director James Comey."
"The post by Comey was interpreted in the news media as a violent threat to President Trump and prompted an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service. STINSON has since made 13 additional posts on Bluesky including the text, '8647'," the document states.
The FBI submitted the record of online media allegedly operated by Stinson as probable cause of Threats against the President. If proven, these threats would violate federal law under United States Code Title 18.
"Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of or to Inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."
Peter Stinson is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.
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