Discharged U.S. Marine William L. Upham, as seen in a Facebook video threatening President Trump. | William Upham, Facebook
Published on July 16, 2026 at 6:06 pm
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A discharged member of the U.S. Marine Corps running for a congressional seat representing Jacksonville has been charged with threatening to kill President Donald Trump, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
William L. Upham has arrested Thursday after a social media video called Trump “the enemy of God.”
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Upham is running as a write-in in the Republican primary Aug. 18 in Florida’s 5th House District, a seat held by U.S. Rep. John Rutherford.
According to the complaint, the Secret Service received reports of threats against Trump in two Facebook videos Upham made, wearing military fatigues.
In a video posted Monday, the former state prosecutor says he decided to run to “fix our broken political system” and return power to the working class. Then he commented about Trump.
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“We are led by a president who is the enemy of God,” he said in the video. “And President Trump will never bring us together like God intended.”
Upham quoted a number of Bible verses, then said there is “no doubt” Trump is a false Messiah and must be killed.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Upham also provided instructions on how to “overthrow” the president, recommending the kind of weapon “the enemy” should be killed with. He suggested two shots to the chest and one shot to the head, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Upham made similar comments in another video, again wearing a military uniform, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Rutherford could not immediately be reached for comment. In a post Wednesday on X, the Marine Corps stated that it is aware of “disturbing statements” Upham made. Upham was medically discharged May 30, 2025, the Marine Corps said.
“The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values,” the brief statement said.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao shared the Marine Corps’ post on his social media, calling Upham’s video statements “unacceptable. William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos.”
If convicted, Upham faces up to five years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe said in a news release.
Upham appeared in federal court in Jacksonville earlier Thursday and was placed in detention.
