A Republican congressional candidate in Florida has been arrested and charged with threatening President Donald Trump after federal authorities said he posted a video to his campaign account on X in which he repeatedly called for the president’s death, as reported by Breitbart.
U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that federal authorities arrested William L. Upham, 35, of Jacksonville, Florida, on charges of threatening the President of the United States. If convicted, Upham faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Following his initial court appearance in Jacksonville on Thursday, a federal judge ordered Upham to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
According to federal authorities, the charge stems from a video Upham posted to his own campaign account on X.
The video, which runs for nearly seven minutes, begins with remarks about God, country, repairing what he described as a broken system, and returning power to working Americans before shifting to statements about President Trump.
Upham is a qualified write-in candidate seeking to unseat Republican Rep. John Rutherford in Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Florida’s Republican primary is scheduled for Aug. 18, with the general election set for Nov. 3.
During the video, Upham claimed the nation was engaged in a spiritual conflict before making a series of statements directed at President Trump.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is the Antichrist,” Upham said. “He is a false messiah, and he is your enemy, and he must be killed.”
He concluded the remarks by stating Trump “will be killed and sent to hell.”
Federal authorities cited those statements in bringing the charge, alleging that Upham threatened the president.
Throughout the recording, Upham appeared wearing his Marine Corps uniform. At one point in the video, he recited portions of the oath he took as a Marine officer, including the pledge to defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
He then stated that those enemies included “the enemies here at home.
The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed that Upham had been medically discharged from military service on May 30, 2025.
According to the Marine Corps, Upham’s statements were inconsistent with the oath he took while serving as a Marine officer.
The Marine Corps is aware of the disturbing statements made by William Upham, who was medically discharged on May 30, 2025. The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values.
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) July 15, 2026
The arrest was announced by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe after investigators reviewed the video that had been published on Upham’s campaign account.
The federal charge alleges that the statements constituted a threat against the President of the United States.
The case now moves into the federal court system, where prosecutors will seek to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Upham could receive a prison sentence of up to five years under federal law.
The arrest comes during the 2026 election cycle as candidates prepare for Florida’s Aug. 18 Republican primary.
Upham had qualified as a write-in candidate challenging incumbent Republican Rep. John Rutherford in the state’s 5th Congressional District.
No additional charges were announced at the time of Kehoe’s statement.
The federal case will proceed in the U.S. District Court following Upham’s detention order issued after his initial appearance in Jacksonville on Thursday.
