A Pennsylvania man has been federally charged for making violent threats on YouTube against former President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the Department of Justice announced on Friday.
Shawn Monper, 32, of Butler, Pennsylvania—the same city where a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump during a 2024 campaign rally—was charged with four counts of attempting to influence, impede, or retaliate against federal officials.
According to federal prosecutors, Monper posted the threats between January and April 2025 under the username “Mr Satan” on several YouTube videos related to Trump’s immigration policies and State of the Union address. The comments included direct threats to kill Trump, federal department officials, and ICE agents, whom he referred to as “terrorists.”
In one post, Monper reportedly wrote, “We just need to start killing people,” referencing Trump, Elon Musk, and others. On February 17, he called for an “American Revolution 2.0,” suggesting that political retaliation was necessary. Weeks later, he explicitly stated his intent to assassinate Trump.
Monper also threatened ICE agents, writing in March that they “must be killed” and later claiming he would consider any armed ICE agent “an active shooter” and “open fire.”
The FBI was alerted to the threats through an emergency disclosure from Google, YouTube’s parent company. Monper was arrested on April 9 by the FBI and local police. Authorities say he had obtained a firearms permit in January, shortly after Trump’s inauguration, and had made comments about stockpiling weapons and ammunition.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement following Monper’s arrest, stating, “Whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law.”
Monper’s case has drawn attention due to its ties to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of a previous assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024. That attack left one attendee dead and two injured. Trump survived with minor wounds.
Monper is currently in custody awaiting further court proceedings. His legal counsel has not publicly responded to the charges.
