This article is part of Fox News Digital’s investigative series, “Campus Radicals,” which delves into notable incidents on college campuses. For those interested in the complete series, it is available for exploration.
In a recent development, Derek Lopez, a former university teaching assistant, has been charged with making threats against President Donald Trump. His legal troubles began after an incident at Illinois State University, where he was seen in a viral video overturning a Turning Point USA table. According to an affidavit from the FBI, Lopez had previously been cautioned by federal law enforcement regarding his aggressive social media conduct.
On October 9, just over a week before his arrest for disorderly conduct and property damage, federal agents interviewed Lopez concerning his online postings. During this interview, the agents repeatedly clarified the distinction between speech protected by the First Amendment and communications that could be perceived as threatening.
Days after the table-flipping incident, Illinois State University decided to terminate Lopez from his position as a teaching assistant. This decision came into effect on October 20, following the public uproar and the subsequent investigation.
Derek Lopez was fired from his teaching assistant role at Illinois State University after flipping a Turning Point USA table on campus. (Credit: X/@FrontlinesTPUSA)
The university fired Lopez from his teaching assistant job on Oct. 20.
The affidavit details disturbing social media posts following the Oct. 9 interview.
A video on Instagram from Oct. 26 under the account @Derek200p, which the FBI says belongs to Lopez, showed an unknown male cocking a pistol and walking down a street. The unknown male then points the gun, and an image of Trump wearing a crown with red crosshairs on his forehead pops up. That post was still live on the Instagram page at the time of this writing.
According to the FBI, an Oct. 27 X post from the account @Derek200pz, Lopez said “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump, idgaf.” That post is also still live on Lopez’s account.
FBI agents in Washington, D.C. on August 11 outside the Park Police Station, the command center for the Trump administration’s new crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital. (Courtesy: FBI, exclusively provided to Fox News Digital)
Lopez also commented on a post that appeared to memorialize Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on the Utah Valley University campus on Sept. 10, claiming he killed Kirk.
“Cry harder,” the comment said. “Every day, hundreds of frail little kids in palestine [sic] die. Charlie Kirk spoke out, not to END their suffering but IN FAVOR of it. That was his free speech. My free speech is this: I Derek S Lopez, killed him. I killed Charlie Kirk.”
He also made an Instagram post with an image that said “I stand with (punching) ICE (in the face),” according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also included a summary of an interview with Lopez conducted by the Illinois State University police on Oct. 15.
Illinois State University Police arrested Lopez after the table flipping incident. (Illinois State University Police)
In that interview, Lopez opined about “Nazis” and “fascists” in the White House.
“He explained he posted on social media about how he wanted to kill Nazis. He said it feels like Nazism and Fascism is on the rise,” according to the affidavit. “He stated he doesn’t want to kill people but his honest opinion some powerful people should be killed.”
“Now with Nazis and Facists [sic] in the White House, he says it feels bad to say ‘I hope those people get killed by someone,’” the affidavit says. “He says when he posts he’s not very clear that he doesn’t want to kill them himself, but if it ‘scares’ people to be less of a Nazi or Fascist then it is okay.”
Patel told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday that Lopez’s arrest should serve as a warning.
Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), speaks during a swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 21, 2025. (Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The threats against President Trump allegedly posted by this individual are heinous and have no place in American society,” he told Fox News Digital. “Let this be a message to all who consider threats of violence not just against public officials, but any American, that this FBI will find you and bring you to justice. I want to thank our local partners, the El Paso PD in Illinois, as well as USSS who assisted us with this case.”
Lopez’s attorney did not return a request for comment.
Illinois State University did not return a request for comment.
