Violent Liberal Arrested After Making Serious Threat To Trump

An Illinois man who reportedly flipped a table owned by the conservative campus group Turning Point USA and was later removed from his teaching assistant role at Illinois State University has now been arrested on federal charges after allegedly threatening to kill Donald Trump.

The defendant, Derek S. Lopez, 27, of El Paso, Illinois, was taken into custody Tuesday night by federal agents and local authorities in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service, according to a criminal complaint. The arrest stems from posts on social media in which Lopez reportedly declared “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump” and appeared in a video pointing a handgun at a digitally altered image of Trump wearing a crown with red crosshairs on his forehead.

Investigators say the investigation began after a tip to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center on September 15 about “concerning statements online.” According to the complaint, when interviewed on October 9, Lopez acknowledged his posts were “a little crazy” but claimed they were “performance art protected by the First Amendment.” Despite that claim, authorities say the threatening language escalated.

Derek Lopez

On October 26 Lopez allegedly posted a video on Instagram showing a man cocking a handgun and pointing it at an image of President Trump. The next day on the social-media platform X, he purportedly wrote: “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump, idaf.” Investigators also quote a comment attributed to Lopez on a Secret Service Instagram post saying: “This is the perfect time to kill the president! The Secret Service is down!”

WATCH:

WATCH: A teacher assistant at Illinois State University flipped over a @tpusastudents table and tore down flyers promoting an upcoming @alexstein99 event.

🎥 @jessburback @tpusastudents pic.twitter.com/ydhIfcEa24

— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) October 17, 2025

Separately, on October 17, Illinois State University police arrested Lopez for disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property after campus video emerged showing him flipping a Turning Point USA display table. In the footage Lopez says: “Well, you know, Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right,” before overturning the table. After that incident the university announced he was relieved of his teaching assistant duties while an internal investigation proceeded.

Federal prosecutors filed a complaint in the Central District of Illinois charging Lopez with making threats against the president. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the single count carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison if he is convicted.

While First Amendment protections apply broadly to political speech in the United States, federal law does not shield “true threats” directed at the president. In this case, prosecutors point to the specificity and context of Lopez’s online posts — including the video and targeted menace — to argue that his speech crosses into criminal conduct. Documents show the government obtained evidence linking the threatening posts to Lopez and coordinated with the Secret Service and local law enforcement to effect the arrest.

As the case now moves forward, Lopez is scheduled for a preliminary and detention hearing in Peoria, Illinois, on November 3. The government may request he be held pending trial, arguing his threats and access to firearms pose a danger. Defense attorneys will likely raise First Amendment arguments and may challenge whether the statements constituted actionable threats or mere inflammatory rhetoric.