Jimmy Williams
A 37-year-old Tennessee man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly making social media threats against President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday.
Kyl Alton Hall, who resides in the Memphis area, faces two counts of threatening a sitting president or vice president and one count of threatening a former president. If convicted on all charges, Hall could face up to 15 years in prison—five years for each count.
According to authorities, Hall allegedly used the social media platform X to issue death threats aimed at the three high-profile political figures. His threats reportedly included violent language such as “kill, assassinate, shoot, and crash the plane” in reference to President Biden. He is also accused of making explicit threats to assassinate Vice President Harris and former President Obama.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, whose mission includes protecting current and former presidents, vice presidents, and their families. The Secret Service has yet to comment on the investigation. The DOJ noted that the case will be prosecuted by its national security and civil rights unit in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Tennessee.
The indictment comes during a week when all three leaders were in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. Biden and Obama appeared to support Vice President Harris as she accepted the Democratic nomination for president.
The DOJ’s press release highlighted the seriousness of threats against public officials, especially those made on social media platforms. “Threatening the life of a president or vice president is a federal offense, and we take these threats extremely seriously,” the release stated.
Social media platforms have become increasingly scrutinized for their role in enabling violent rhetoric, with many experts calling for stricter regulation to prevent such threats from materializing. Hall’s case underscores the DOJ’s determination to crack down on such criminal behavior.