A New Hampshire man was arrested and charged with threatening 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and his supporters ahead of a campaign event to be held in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Tyler Anderson, 30, of Dover, New Hampshire, allegedly responded to a text message from a presidential campaign Friday promoting a rally set to take place 9 a.m. Monday at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth. While the federal charging documents did not name the candidate threatened, the event was Ramaswamy's, according to his campaign.
The federal charges against Anderson allege that he responded to the campaign's text message on Dec. 8, writing: “Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!” and added that he would "kill everyone who attends."
Court documents state that Anderson admitted to the police that he sent the texts and that he had sent threatening texts to other campaigns as well.
The campaign immediately alerted law enforcement after receiving the threat in response to the automated text message. Ramaswamy's campaign did not publicize the threat to prevent copycat acts, a source close to the situation told NBC News, but it did not know that the FBI would be releasing a statement until the press release was out,
“We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans," the Ramaswamy campaign told NBC News in a statement.
Court documents reveal that Anderson has had several interactions with the Dover Police Department over the last few years, but do not reveal specifics.
Anderson will appear in federal court in Concord, New Hampshire, on Monday afternoon. The charges he faces could result in a prison sentence of up to five years. He could also face as many as three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Ramaswamy communications director Tricia McLaughlin told NBC News that security presence will be stepped up at Ramaswamy's New Hampshire events Monday, including the presence of plainclothes. The candidate's schedule will continue as planned.
