Former US Coast Guard officer facing charges after alleged Trump threat due in court

Fmr Coast Guard officer charged with Trump threats due in court

A former U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant accused of threatening to kill President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

WASHINGTON - A former U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant accused of threatening to kill President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Peter Andrew Stinson, 63, of Oakton, Va., was arrested after a federal investigation linked him to a series of social media threats allegedly made over the past five years. A U.S. Park Police sergeant on an FBI joint terrorism task force describes Stinson as a self-identified Antifa member.

Authorities say Stinson, a former FEMA instructor and Coast Guard sharpshooter, repeatedly posted content advocating violence against the president. One 2020 post reportedly read, "Yes, I would pull the trigger. Would you?" In 2024, after an attack on then-candidate Trump during a campaign rally, Stinson allegedly posted, "If you're going to do something big, get it right," followed by a wink emoji.

READ MORE: Booking photo released of former Coast Guard officer arrested over Trump assassination threats

Social media threats

Another post from March 2025 stated, "He needs to be luigi’ed," a phrase investigators believe implies assassination as a means of social justice. In a video posted to Instagram, Stinson also used the number "8647," interpreted by authorities as shorthand for removing the 47th president.

Officials have also identified Stinson as the founder of the "Mayday Movement," a group that has publicly called for the president’s impeachment. Hannah Marcley, a spokesperson for the group, defended Stinson’s actions, saying, "Peter said some angry things online and I'm not going to speculate as to whether or not those were even all him. It's the prosecution's job to prove that he said those things and that that they were illegal. But he has a First Amendment right just like everyone else does and he operated entirely lawfully within that right whenever we were around." 

READ MORE: Former Coast Guard officer arrested after allegedly threatening to assassinate Trump: FBI

Court appearance scheduled

Stinson is charged with making threats to kill the president. He is expected to be in federal court in Alexandria at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Peter Stinson (Alexandria Sheriff’s Office)