A New York man was charged with threatening to kill former President Donald Trump after making threats during a phone call with U.S. Capitol Police.
Thomas Welnicki of Rockaway Beach, New York, said during a phone call around July 21, 2020, that he would take violent action against then-President Trump if he did not step down upon losing the election.
“If [Trump] loses the 2020 election and refused to step down,” Welnicki would “acquire weapons” and “take him down,” authorities said in a criminal complaint filed on Saturday.
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Welnicki also reportedly bragged to police while on the phone about how easy it was for him to acquire a firearm. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will stand up to fascism,” the man told the Capitol Police.
At the end of his interview, Welnicki told Capitol Police that “I really hope that God takes [Trump] out,” according to the filing.
Welnicki left two voice messages on Jan. 4, 2021, with the Secret Service threatening violence, the filing says. In the first call, Welnicki threatened to kill Trump and 12 unidentified politicians who he believed “backed” Trump. He also claimed there was a $350,000 reward out for whoever killed these individuals. The second voicemail had Welnicki saying he would aid anyone willing to help him shoot Trump or the other politicians.
Welnicki made additional calls after his initial interview, saying he would “do everything I can to make sure [Trump] is dead.”
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While the complaint does not directly refer to Trump, it states that “individual 1” served as president from Jan. 20, 2017, to Jan. 20, 2021.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Welnicki on Friday, according to Reuters.
Threats against notable politicians are common. A man in Arizona was convicted on charges of leaving death threats on Nancy Pelosi’s voicemail in November.
