A 44-year-old Arizona man has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for posting violent threats against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on social media. Michael David Hanson pleaded guilty to making threats against the president and his successors. The case highlights the legal consequences of online threats against U.S. leaders.
Michael David Hanson, a 44-year-old resident of Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 27 months in a federal correctional institute. The sentencing occurred on a Friday, following Hanson's guilty plea to one count of making threats against the president and successors to the president. In exchange, prosecutors dropped one count of threatening the president and five counts of making interstate threats. After his prison term, Hanson will undergo three years of supervised release.
The threats began on November 19, 2023, when Hanson posted on X, formerly Twitter, using an account with a handle referring to sexual activity. One post read: "#JoeAndKamala I'm asking you to resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murder." Later that day, he urged: "#assassinate and #bombtheWhiteHouse what are you waiting for do it!" This was accompanied by a clip from the film Independence Day showing the White House on fire. Hanson then switched to a pro-Trump handle, posting that Biden and Harris should be "dead" and required to resign by "tomorrow." Another message stated: "#joeAndKamala are dead in less than #365days they're forced out of office and brutally murdered @JoeBiden and @VP run for your lives or resign on Monday."
Authorities linked these accounts to Hanson through his real name registration and photos matching his driver's license. Between November 20 and 22, 2023, Hanson spoke with federal agents, initially claiming his posts were protected by the First Amendment. He was informed otherwise and promised not to repeat them.
However, in December 2023, using three new X accounts with themes related to Tokyo, Japan; an idiom about lions; and a pro-Trump slogan, Hanson continued posting. He declared Biden and Harris "dead (skull emoji) & buried" and threatened a mass shooting at the University of New Mexico (UNM), writing in part: "#JoeBidenLost yesterday when they rescinded my offer to study (book emoji) and learn now it's #theDeathOfJoeBidenAndKamala. I'm going to bury them in a #schoolMassacre and #assassinate."
In a subsequent interview, Hanson admitted to the posts but downplayed them, saying no one followed his accounts and he sought attention. He explained his anger stemmed from UNM revoking his master's program admission, scholarship, and student loans after a female student's complaint about an "incident." Hanson described feeling trapped in Phoenix and ranting emotionally to blame others and gain notice.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine stated: "Online death threats made against leaders of the United States are criminal acts, not protected speech." He praised the U.S. Secret Service and Phoenix Police for their swift action, noting the sentence as a warning of real-world consequences. William Mack, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service's Phoenix Field Office, affirmed: "If you threaten the President of the United States, we will find you, we will arrest you and you will face justice."
