FILE – President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File).
An Oregon man has been charged with sending numerous text messages to his probation officer, allegedly declaring his intention to “kill the president.” This incident comes shortly after his release from prison, where he served time for threatening to execute Donald Trump “for treason.”
Diedrich Holgate, 47, reportedly sent one of his threats while on probation, stating, “Trump’s gonna fkn pardon me or I’ll kill him!!!!!” as outlined in a federal petition for his arrest.
Holgate allegedly communicated to his probation officer that he was “done playin,” following it with the ominous words, “Dead Dead Dead.”
Originating from Texas, Holgate was convicted and sentenced last year for an array of threats aimed at both Trump and Joe Biden. These threats were disseminated via social media, direct messages to the White House, and calls to the U.S. Secret Service throughout 2024.
During a call to the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office in June 2024, Holgate declared, “The president is going to die,” according to his federal indictment. He further asserted, “I have the right to kill the president,” specifying no preference between Trump or Biden.
In a subsequent call in August 2024, Holgate intensified his threats, vowing to “hang his ass for treason” and threatening to “f—ing kill everybody,” as detailed in the indictment.
“POTUS, FLOTUS, and SCOTUS,” Holgate said.
He was released on Jan. 21 and ordered to live at a Portland halfway house.
“The probation officer believes that the person under supervision has violated the following condition of supervision,” the arrest petition says, noting how Holgate was “terminated” from living at the halfway house for “smoking a vape” before he sent his alleged threats.
“Holgate has made multiple threatening statements via text message to his probation officer,” the petition alleges. “Probable cause has been established that a violation of supervised release has been committed.”
In his texts to the probation officer, Holgate allegedly told them, “You’re with me or You’re a traitor & infidel that’s taken the Mark of the beast. & Hell? That won’t last forever. Second death. You’ll be erased.”
The officer appeared in court on Thursday for Holgate’s preliminary hearing, during which they described how he repeatedly said he was “going to kill the President” and threatened that the officer “would be erased,” according to The Oregonian newspaper.
The officer said Holgate was going to “burn in hell” for reporting him. The officer told the court that they believed Holgate has the capacity to harm Trump. The judge overseeing the hearing said they didn’t find anything while questioning Holgate that suggested he didn’t have the mental competency to understand what was occurring and being alleged about his statements, per The Oregonian.
The judge reportedly ruled there was probable cause to find Holgate had violated the conditions of his release by issuing additional threats and failing to report to his probation officer as instructed, which the officer alleged happened just weeks after Holgate’s release. He also allegedly refused to live in approved housing.
Holgate was ordered to remain in custody pending his next hearing, which is scheduled to take place on March 26.
