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Former Teaching Assistant Who Flipped Turning Point USA Table Charged For Alleged Threats Against President Trump
A former teaching assistant recently fired by Illinois State University has been charged with allegedly making threats against President Trump, the Justice Department announced.
“An El Paso, Illinois, man, Derek Lopez, 27, has been charged in federal court with making threats against President Donald J. Trump. Lopez was arrested on October 28, 2025. Preliminary and detention hearings are scheduled for Monday, November 3, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Peoria, Illinois,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of Illinois stated.
“The arrest follows a month-long investigation coordinated with the above agencies, which also included the Illinois State University Police Department, regarding Lopez’s online and in-person activities,” according to an FBI memo obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Lopez is alleged to have recently made threats against a sitting President, which prompted the current federal charges,” it added.
“The FBI Springfield Office, in collaboration with our federal and state partners, are announcing the arrest of Derek Lopez, 27, for making threats against President Donald Trump within the Central District of Illinois. We are grateful for the significant assistance provided by our law enforcement partners during this investigation,” FBI Springfield said.
The FBI Springfield Office, in collaboration with our federal and state partners, are announcing the arrest of Derek Lopez, 27, for making threats against President Donald Trump within the Central District of Illinois. We are grateful for the significant assistance provided by… pic.twitter.com/ZcweRhE9oE
— FBI Springfield (@FBISpringfield) October 29, 2025
Fox News shared more:
Lopez, who was a graduate student, was fired from his role as a teaching assistant at Illinois State University after a viral video showed him flipping over a table that belonged to Turning Point USA chapter members on campus.
He was seen in the video speaking to a man next to where the conservative group was promoting an upcoming appearance by political comedian Alex Stein.
“Well, you know, Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right?” Lopez told the man before flipping the table over.
“Thanks guys, have a great day,” he said before walking away.
“While Illinois State University does not comment specifically on personnel matters, we can confirm Derek Lopez has been relieved of his duties as a graduate teaching assistant pending further investigation,” the school confirmed on Oct. 20.
Lopez had already been arrested by local police for the table-flipping incident. He was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.
WATCH: A teacher assistant at Illinois State University flipped over a @tpusastudents table and tore down flyers promoting an upcoming @alexstein99 event.
@jessburback @tpusastudents pic.twitter.com/ydhIfcEa24
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) October 17, 2025
“The threats against President Trump allegedly posted by this individual are heinous and have no place in American society,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital.
“Let this be a message to all who consider threats of violence not just against public officials, but any American, that this FBI will find you and bring you to justice. I want to thank our local partners, the El Paso PD in Illinois, as well as USSS who assisted us with this case,” he added.
The threats against President Trump allegedly posted by this individual are heinous and have no place in our society.
Let this be a message: anyone who threatens violence against public officials or any American will be found and brought to justice. pic.twitter.com/mdQZMtP7pF
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 29, 2025
The New York Times shared further info:
The F.B.I. learned of Mr. Lopez’s online statements in mid-September from an anonymous tip through the National Threats Operation Center, Mr. Smith wrote.
Mr. Lopez was arrested on Tuesday, the F.B.I. said on Wednesday. If convicted, Mr. Lopez could serve as many as five years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois said in a statement on Wednesday.
The security of politicians has been in the spotlight after two assassination attempts on Mr. Trump last year, along with recent high-profile attacks on figures from both major parties. Earlier this year, Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota, was killed in what officials described as a political assassination. And last month, Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and Mr. Trump’s ally, was fatally shot at a university campus in Utah.
Mr. Lopez defended his online activity to F.B.I. agents as performance art, according to the affidavit, and also wrote on Instagram that he believed his posts were protected by the First Amendment. His lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
In one of his social media posts, as described in the affidavit and prefaced with “my free speech is this,” he wrote that he had killed Mr. Kirk. (Tyler Robinson of Utah was arrested and charged in the killing of Mr. Kirk last month.)
One post from Saturday, which was still visible to the public, included a video of a man pointing a gun, layered under an illustration of Mr. Trump with a target on his forehead and several images of Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director. Another account named in the affidavit was private.
According to the affidavit, Mr. Lopez posted in the comments of a Secret Service post on Instagram that with the account inactive during the government shutdown, “this is the perfect time to kill the president! The Secret Service is down!” And he wrote in a post on X on Oct. 27 that “I’m gonna kill Donald Trump,” according to the affidavit.
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