A 24-year-old Kansas man is accused of threatening to kill President Donald Trump and saying he had identified rooftops near the location of an upcoming presidential speech. The alleged online posts prompted a federal investigation and his arrest before Trump’s scheduled visit.
Jaden J. Read, of Clearwater, was charged Saturday with threatening the president, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas said. He was arrested the same day, 48 hours before Trump was expected in Wichita on Monday.
Federal authorities began looking into the matter Oct. 15 after Crime Stoppers received a tip about comments posted beneath a KAKE News Facebook story covering Trump’s planned trip, prosecutors said.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport on October 14, 2026, in Bullhead City, Arizona. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
According to prosecutors, Read first allegedly wrote, “Let’s shoot Trump honestly, where’s our shooter? I’m tired of living this money life.”
Investigators said he followed that post with another message in which he claimed to have ammunition and threatened to kill the president.
Authorities later found what prosecutors described as more threatening comments under a separate KWCH 12 News Facebook article about Trump’s upcoming Kansas appearance.
In that post, Read allegedly wrote, “Can we shoot him in Kansas please I will myself.”
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U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up an appearance at a campaign rally at Pinnacle Bank Expo Center on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds on Oct. 5, 2026 in Grand Island, Neb. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
About a minute later, prosecutors said, he claimed to know where Trump’s speech would take place and said he had surveyed the surrounding rooftops.
“IK where your speech will be. Already mapped out roofs around. Finna get kirked since yall couldn’t help him,” Read allegedly posted, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Evan Vucci, File, AP Photo)
Read was arrested in Clearwater and placed in federal custody. Prosecutors said he would remain detained while awaiting a hearing to determine whether he should continue to be held.
“Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said in a statement Monday.
He added that the First Amendment protects strong political disagreement, but does not protect every form of speech, urging people to remain within the limits of constitutionally protected expression.
