Man charged with threatening to kill Trump ahead of Kansas rally

Jaden J. Read, a 24-year-old from Clearwater, Kansas, was arrested and charged with threatening to kill President Donald Trump ahead of Trump’s planned rally in Wichita. Prosecutors say Read posted threats on Facebook, including a claim that he would shoot Trump himself and had identified nearby rooftops; the case highlights the legal limits on threats made in political debate.

A tip to Crime Stoppers on 15 October prompted an investigation into comments beneath local news reports about Trump’s visit. Read was arrested on 17 October and is being held in federal custody pending a detention hearing; the charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The Secret Service and several federal and Kansas law enforcement agencies investigated the case. Trump was due to rally for Republican Senator Roger Marshall ahead of the 3 November elections.