Former Coast Guard Lieutenant Acquitted of Threatening Trump on Social Media

Peter Stinson, a retired Coast Guard lieutenant and self-identified Antifa member, was acquitted by a federal jury of soliciting the assassination of President Donald Trump based on social media posts made between 2020 and 2025. The Department of Justice had charged Stinson with repeatedly calling for the president's assassination in various posts, some indicating willingness to provide support or funding for such acts. Stinson's defense argued that his comments were protected under the First Amendment and constituted hyperbole without specific intent or actions to carry out violence. Expert testimony highlighted that Stinson's rhetoric was common online and that he was selectively targeted despite widespread similar speech. The judge instructed the jury that advocacy of violence without more is protected speech, and the jury took only a few hours to deliver a not guilty verdict. Stinson was previously released on bail despite DOJ objections, and his acquittal underscores the legal complexities around free speech and threats in the digital age.