President Donald Trump speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
A Maryland man is facing federal charges after allegedly unleashing a barrage of social media threats against President Donald Trump and federal agents, including a post in which he vowed to "behead" the commander-in-chief.
"There is nothing in this world the USSS [U.S. Secret Service] can do to save Donald J Trump from my divine wrath," wrote Donald Swope, 53, in a Facebook post, according to a federal complaint.
Referring to himself as the "biggest threat this world has ever seen," Swope rattled off posts from at least May through Aug. 21, the Justice Department says. He pledged to behead and commit other acts of violence on Trump, with federal prosecutors noting in a pretrial detention motion filed this week that "he did not hide his intent or mince his words" in his writings.
"The posts are unequivocal," the DOJ motion says. "In fact, he even calls his posts threats as described throughout the complaint."
Swope's online paper trail came to the attention of federal authorities in July 2026 after an employee at a Pennsylvania talk radio station flagged a Facebook post to the FBI. The user, operating under the account "Donnie Swope," posted an explicit threat saying, "I will behead you Donald J. Trump and no longer will MY people bare your mark!"
Swope allegedly tagged more than 20 high-profile individuals, news organizations, and government agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, the FBI, the Vatican News, and Trump himself.
Secret Service agents interviewed Swope's mother and she allegedly admitted her son had "said too much" and "overstepped," noting how he had "become very religious" over the past 10 to 15 years and often quoted the Bible online.
"He probably needs help now," the mom said, according to the complaint.
Swope found out that federal agents had visited his mother's house and allegedly doubled down on his threats.
"You came to my mothers house with the excuse of my post about 'Beheading' Donald J. Trump United States Secret Service," Swope said, according to the complaint. "Your darn right, that exactly what I AM going to do!! Do you hear me?"
Swope allegedly added, "You do know United States Secret Service Donald J. Trump I AM making a joke of YOU right NOW!! You should have NEVER went to MY MOTHERS HOUSE!!! you know D— well what has been going on, and I WILL NOT be INTIMIDATED by ANYONE!"
Prosecutors say Swope escalated his online threat campaign by directly naming one of the investigating Secret Service agents by her first name and threatening her personally.
In his final posts leading up to his arrest, Swope allegedly challenged Trump to "come to his mountain or die" and made ominous references to being "armed and exploding," according to the complaint.
"United States Secret Service you don't have to go to my mothers and ask if I am a threat – I tell you this, I am the biggest threat this world has ever seen in the history," Swope allegedly warned.
The DOJ notes in its pretrial detention motion that while "the nature of this crime may be 'just words'" the problem is the government "cannot tell, nor can any condition of release control, when 'words' will become actions."
Prosecutors point to Swope's secluded "mountain" residence in Washington County, access to firearms, ownership of a vehicle, and proximity to Washington, D.C., as reasons for arresting him and asking that he be held without bail.
"There is nothing ambiguous about his threats," the DOJ's motion says. "He repeatedly speaks of killing the president, references other executive branch agencies, and threatens the U.S.S.S., including specifically calling out one of the agents by her first name. His last series of threats on August 20 and August 21 included statements about challenging the President to come to his mountain or die."
Following his arrest, Swope voluntarily confessed to agents that he wrote the threatening posts on his phone using his personal "Donnie Swope" Facebook account, per the complaint.
"The weight of the evidence of the defendant's guilt is strong," the DOJ says in its motion. "All the above circumstances establish the danger posed by the defendant. … His lack of respect for the government or rules suggests the defendant will not abide by any condition set by the court. Therefore, the Court has ample grounds to find that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the community safety and the defendant should be detained pending trial."
Swope's charges include threats against the President of the United States, interstate communication containing a threat to harm, and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening or injuring a family member. If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison for each count of threatening communications and 10 years for influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official.