Maryland Man Charged with Threatening President Trump
Donald Franklin Swope faces charges for allegedly threatening President Trump and Secret Service agents; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
3 reports on this incident · first at Sep 1, 2026, 5:08 p.m. ET
Earlier reports
Sep 1, 2026, 10:50 p.m. ET
Maryland Man Charged With Threatening President Trump
Donald Franklin Swope, 53, of Maryland, has been charged by criminal complaint with threatening the President of the United States, making interstate threats, and threatening a federal official’s family member, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. The charges were announced on September 1, 2026, and Swope made his initial appearance in federal court. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved; Swope has not been convicted of any crime.
Swope is charged in connection with allegations that he repeatedly threatened to behead President Trump and made threats against Secret Service agents between May and August 2026. The government alleges that Swope made these threats through Facebook posts.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by criminal complaint are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Swope faces up to five years in prison on each threatening communications count and up to 10 years on the retaliation charge. A federal district court judge will determine the actual sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sep 1, 2026, 5:08 p.m. ETFirst report
Maryland Man Charged with Threats Against President and Other Domestic Terrorism Charges
A Maryland man made his initial appearance in federal court on September 1, 2026, in connection with domestic terrorism charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. Donald Franklin Swope, 53, is charged by criminal complaint with threats against the President of the United States; interstate communication containing a threat to harm; and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member.
The criminal complaint alleges that between May 12, 2026, and July 27, Swope repeatedly made Facebook posts about harming President Donald J. Trump. Additionally, on August 5, Swope made multiple Facebook posts threatening the U.S. Secret Service, and continued posting threatening messages from August 6 until August 8.
The case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, a White House-directed interagency effort to protect First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence, led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the complaint with Special Agent in Charge Brian McDonough of the U.S. Secret Service Baltimore Field Office.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by criminal complaint are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Swope faces a maximum of five years in prison for each count of threatening communications and 10 years for influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official. Actual sentences are typically less than the maximum penalties.
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Revision history
- Version 12 Sept 2026, 02:50current
First published.
- Version 11 Sept 2026, 21:08current
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- Version 12 Sept 2026, 02:52current
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