A Tennessee man has been charged with making online threats against President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee.
The charges, announced on Friday, stem from social media posts made by Kyl Alton Hall on July 27, in which he threatened to kill, assassinate, and harm the three political figures.
Prosecutors revealed that Hall posted multiple threats on X, formerly known as Twitter. The posts included explicit threats to “assassinate, shoot, and crash the plane of President Biden” and to assassinate Vice President Harris and former President Obama.
Hall now faces serious federal charges, including two counts of making threats against the president and vice president under 18 U.S.C. § 871(a) and one count of threatening a former president under 18 U.S.C. § 879(a)(1). If convicted, Hall could face up to 15 years in prison.
Hall’s parents provided insight into his troubled mental state, indicating that he has a history of mental health issues and recently began exhibiting bizarre behavior.
His mother expressed her belief that he may be suffering from schizophrenia, claiming that he hears voices from Biden and Obama. Out of concern for public safety, Hall’s parents stated they would not bail him out of jail due to fears that he may “snap” again.
The charges were filed just days after the Democratic National Convention, where all three political figures delivered remarks as part of the lead-up to the November presidential election.
Vice President Harris, who accepted the Democratic nomination for president, and President Biden, who recently ended his own campaign, have been at the center of increased security concerns as election-related tensions rise.
This case highlights the broader issue of escalating threats against political leaders and election officials. In recent months, several individuals have been prosecuted for threatening political figures.
For example, in July, an Alabama man pleaded guilty to threatening election workers in Arizona, and a Kentucky man admitted to shooting at the mayor of Louisville.
Most recently, an Arizona man was arrested for threatening to kill former President Donald Trump on social media.
The increase in politically motivated threats underscores growing concerns as the nation approaches the November election.
