Main: President Donald Trump participates in the 157th National Memorial Day Observance held at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, May 26, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin). Inset: Robert Herrera (Bexar County Detention Center).
A 52-year-old Texas man is likely to spend several years in prison after confessing to threatening former President Donald Trump through a social media post that referenced a previous assassination attempt and stated, “I won’t miss.”
On Wednesday, Robert Herrera appeared in front of U.S. District Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney of the Western District of Texas, where he entered a guilty plea to one count of making threats against the U.S. President, according to an announcement from the Department of Justice released.
Although the date for Herrera’s sentencing has not been set, he could be facing a prison term of up to five years and a potential fine of $250,000 when he is next in court.
As previously covered by Law&Crime, the San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT on July 10 shared an article on their Facebook page regarding Trump’s scheduled trip to Texas Hill Country after the summer’s devastating floods.
Reacting to the post, Herrera commented on July 10 with a threat to kill Trump. His comment featured a photo of Trump amidst U.S. Secret Service agents shortly after Thomas M. Crooks attempted an assassination at a July 13, 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks, armed with a sniper rifle, fired at Trump, grazing his ear without inflicting harm.
Herrera, using the handle “Robert Herrer,” included a comment with the photo from Butler that read: “I won’t miss.”
In the criminal complaint, which was not publicly available as of Monday morning, prosecutors say that a second unknown Facebook user replied to Herrera’s post stating, “you won’t get the chance, I promise.”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Herrera responded to that unknown user’s comment, writing, “I’ll just come for you.” The response included a photograph depicting an assault rifle and loaded magazines, according to the Justice Department.
Authorities located and arrested Herrera the same day the threats were posted online. The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“While the FBI fully supports and defends every American’s right to free speech, it is important to understand that threatening violence against any individual is not constitutionally protected speech, it is a federal crime,” Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office said in a statement immediately following Herrera’s arrest.
