During a hearing on Wednesday, a federal judge ordered former U.S. Coast Guard officer Peter Stinson to home detention with GPS monitoring following accusations that he made numerous threats against President Donald Trump on social media over the past five years. The 63-year-old Virginia resident, who served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1988 to 2021, became a sharpshooter and served as a FEMA instructor during his time in service.
Stinson, who wore a green prison jumpsuit to the hearing, was seen speaking with his attorneys during the proceeding. Judge Ivan Davis stated that, under the conditions outlined, he did not believe that Stinson’s release to home detention posed a threat to the community. Prosecutors from the U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Stinson made multiple threats against Trump on various social media platforms, including X, Reddit, and Bluesky.
However, Stinson’s public defender argued that his statements were expressions of political hyperbole protected under the First Amendment. Prosecutors countered by noting that Stinson received expert marksman ribbons, suggesting his claims about his shooting abilities were false. A task force officer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation detailed the numerous online threats made by Stinson, including references to the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and mentions of an Instagram post by former FBI Director James Comey.
Stinson also allegedly posted messages supporting Antifa, including a statement that “Antifa always wins in the end.” Despite the allegations, Judge Davis gave prosecutors until next Wednesday to file additional written briefs on the matter.