Diedrich Holgate, recently released from prison for prior threats against Donald Trump, allegedly sent death threats to his probation officer demanding a pardon. The 47-year-old texted that Trump would pardon him or be killed, leading to his arrest. A judge found probable cause for violating supervised release conditions.
Diedrich Holgate, a 47-year-old Texas native living in Oregon, was convicted last year for a series of threats against Donald Trump and Joe Biden. These included social media posts, direct messages to the White House, and calls to the U.S. Secret Service in 2024. In a June 2024 call to the Secret Service's Washington Field Office, Holgate stated, “The president is going to die,” adding, “I have the right to kill the president... I don't care if it is Trump or Biden.” In August 2024, he called again, saying, “I will hang his ass for treason,” and threatened to “f—ing kill everybody,” targeting “POTUS, FLOTUS, and SCOTUS.” He was released on January 21 to a Portland halfway house but was soon terminated for smoking a vape and failing to report as instructed. He also refused approved housing. Weeks later, Holgate sent multiple threatening texts to his probation officer, including “Trump's gonna fkn pardon me or I’ll kill him!!!!!” and “I'm done playin. Dead Dead Dead.” He further wrote, “You're with me or You're a traitor & infidel that's taken the Mark of the beast. & Hell? That won't last forever. Second death. You'll be erased.” A federal arrest petition cited these as violations of supervised release. At a preliminary hearing on Thursday, the probation officer testified that Holgate repeatedly said he was “going to kill the President” and threatened the officer with erasure, believing Holgate capable of harming Trump. The judge ruled there was probable cause for violations, noting Holgate's mental competency, and ordered him held in custody until his next hearing on March 26.