The sentencing of 38‑year‑old Albuquerque resident Tyler Leveque has drawn renewed attention to how quickly online rhetoric can shift from disturbing to criminal — and how decisively federal authorities respond when threats target the sitting president.
Leveque was given roughly 10 months in federal prison after admitting that a series of escalating posts across TikTok, X, and Facebook constituted direct threats against President Donald Trump and others earlier this year.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the posts began on January 2, 2025, when Leveque published a TikTok video laced with hostility toward multiple groups and punctuated with a stark message that his viewers should be “f—ing scared.”
He ended the video with a short, chilling provocation: “Run, run.” The next day, his tone shifted from general aggression to explicit targeting. Addressing the president directly on X, he claimed to have “eyes on” him and referenced Trump’s upcoming rally, writing, “you and your rich friends are dead no threat a promise.” Additional posts hinted at an anticipated confrontation on January 19, a date he described as a moment for “war.”
By January 4, Leveque took to Facebook to announce that he had purchased his first gun and appeared to frame himself as preparing for violence. Although investigators later confirmed he had initiated an online firearm purchase but never completed it, the combination of his statements and behavior set off alarms for both the Secret Service and the FBI.
Agents visited his home on January 6, informing him that his posts qualified as unlawful threats — speech not protected under the First Amendment.
Federal officials emphasized that point in their public statements after sentencing. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison noted that threats against public officials carry “significant, lifelong consequences,” from incarceration to a permanent felony record and the loss of firearm rights.
Secret Service and FBI officials echoed that message, underscoring the line between protected political expression and statements that directly endanger targeted individuals.
Leveque ultimately pleaded guilty to making threats against the president and successors to the presidency. Following the completion of his sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release — a final reminder that the digital world is not beyond the reach of federal law, and explicit threats are treated as real, actionable risks rather than impulsive online outbursts.
