The FBI arrested Andrew D. Emerald, 45, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, on April 1, 2026, for allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump in multiple Facebook posts. Agents with the FBI Boston’s Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force executed an arrest warrant after a stand-off in which Emerald reportedly brandished a sword.
Emerald was indicted on eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications, stemming from posts made between May and July 2025. Prosecutors allege he vowed to hunt down Trump if the president was not dead by 2026 and referenced Mar-a-Lago as a potential target. One post stated, "Either Trump is dead and in the ground by 2026, or I am hunting him down and putting him there."
Agents forced entry into Emerald’s apartment after he refused to comply. Court documents reveal he threatened law enforcement, stating he would "kill them until they kill me." A citizen tip initially alerted the FBI to his posts, which included graphic language and references to violent methods of carrying out attacks.
Emerald’s lawyer has not yet commented on the case. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts.