Man openly brags about plotting to murder Donald Trump because the president is ‘very dangerous’ as his chilling threats flood inboxes of media and officials
Florida – A Florida man who authorities say repeatedly announced his intention to kill former President Donald Trump is now facing a federal charge that could send him to prison for years.
A grand jury in the Northern District of Florida has indicted 46-year-old Markus E. Hamlett on one count of making a threat against the President of the United States. The charge, announced by U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin, stems from a series of emails and other communications in which Hamlett allegedly declared he was determined to carry out an assassination.
Court records describe a stream of messages sent in May 2025 from Hamlett’s personal Yahoo account to media organizations and government officials. In those emails, investigators say he did not attempt to conceal his identity.
Instead, he repeatedly used his full name while stating outright that he intended to kill Trump. One message allegedly read, “I’m planning on murdering Donald Trump.” In another, he claimed he had traveled to Washington, D.C., to organize the act.
The tone, according to the affidavit, grew more intense over the next 48 hours. On May 19, 2025, Hamlett allegedly wrote that Trump “is done,” adding that he would “be the one to pull the plug.” Authorities say the threats were explicit and unambiguous.
The communications did not end in May. Federal investigators allege that on Dec. 3, 2025, Hamlett submitted another alarming message through the CIA’s public website. That email referenced “the murder of Donald Trump” and included additional hostile language directed at the president.
On May 17, he allegedly sent threatening messages, according to Law and Crime, which read:
- “I’m Markus Hamlett and I’m publicly threatening Donald Trump. He’s VERY dangerous and I’ll stop at nothing to stop him.”
- “I’m planning on murdering Donald Trump.”
- “Markus Hamlett has a plan to murder Donald Trump.”
He allegedly sent three more messages the following day:
- “I, Markus Hamlett, was in Washington, DC on dates known to the government and my ex-wife. I went there to plan to murder Trump.”
- “I’m putting my intent to murder Trump all over the internet. The world will soon know what a DUMB B— that man is.”
- “Here’s my receipt from the days I was in Washington, DC preparing Trump’s death. I’m going to murder the President of the United States.”
Law enforcement contact with Hamlett occurred months later. On Jan. 30, deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody and placed him on a 72-hour involuntary mental health hold at the Lakeview Center in Pensacola. The U.S. Secret Service was alerted the same day.
While undergoing intake at the facility, Hamlett allegedly continued making statements about killing Trump, according to the probable cause affidavit. When Secret Service agents arrived to question him, investigators say Hamlett told them he had been trying to attract law enforcement’s attention for a year. He allegedly admitted to sending emails and making phone calls in hopes of being arrested.
Federal database checks revealed an earlier incident in October 2025 in San Jose, California. In that case, Hamlett allegedly called 911 and told a dispatcher he had devised a plan to assassinate Trump. Authorities say he later acknowledged placing the call. He was arrested at the time but subsequently released.
Hamlett, who previously served in both the U.S. Marine Corps and the Air Force, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon for his initial hearing in Pensacola. His trial is scheduled to begin April 6, 2026, before U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Hamlett faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of as much as $250,000. The investigation is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Patterson prosecuting the case.
