The U.S. Secret Service is reviewing remarks by Florida congressional candidate William Upham after he called President Donald Trump “the Antichrist” and said the president should be killed. The agency said it was aware of the comments and examines any perceived threat against a protectee.
No federal agency had announced an arrest or criminal charge by Thursday, July 16, 2026. The Marine Corps and acting Navy leadership issued separate condemnations on July 15 after the video circulated online.
Upham is a former Marine and congressional candidate based in Jacksonville. State election files list him as qualified as a write-in for Florida’s 5th Congressional District on June 9. He filed his candidacy on April 28.
Video shifts from campaign message
Upham opened the nearly seven-minute recording with a conventional campaign appeal. He said he entered the race to restore bipartisanship, return power to working Americans, and challenge Washington insiders.
The message then shifted into religious claims and violent language. Upham described the United States as engaged in a spiritual battle and accused Trump of being an enemy of God.
He cited Bible passages and referenced his oath as a Marine officer. That oath requires service members to defend the Constitution against foreign and domestic enemies.
Upham then called Trump a false messiah and said he “must be killed.” He offered no publicly available evidence to support his religious claims about the president.
Later, Upham asked viewers whether they were worshiping a false idol. He predicted Trump would be killed and sent to hell, then said God would prevail over evil.
The publicly available video does not establish that Upham identified an attacker or described an operational plan. He also did not publicly state that he had taken steps toward carrying out violence.
Federal investigators have not disclosed whether they found evidence beyond the recording. They also have not said whether agents interviewed Upham or searched property connected to him.
Marine Corps rejects remarks.
The Marine Corps confirmed that Upham was medically discharged in 2025. His discharge took effect on May 30, several months before he entered the congressional race.
The service called his statements disturbing and said they violated the oath he had sworn. It also said the remarks did not reflect Marine Corps values.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao described the comments as unacceptable. He stressed that Upham no longer serves as a Marine and does not represent the service’s values or ethos.
Cao has served as acting secretary since April 22, 2026. He assumed the position following the departure of former Navy Secretary John Phelan.
Upham’s use of military language added an institutional dimension to the controversy. A military oath does not authorize current or former service members to declare that elected officials may be attacked.
The Constitution gives Congress, the courts, voters, and other lawful institutions defined roles in checking presidential power. Private citizens cannot replace those processes with violence.
Upham remains a candidate.
Florida’s candidate database identifies him as William Lintag Upham and lists a Jacksonville campaign address. It classifies him as a qualified write-in candidate for the November 2026 general election.
The state file did not indicate that Upham had withdrawn by Thursday. Florida election officials also had not announced any change to his qualified status.
Write-in candidates remain eligible to receive votes, but voters must enter their names on the ballot. Upham is seeking a congressional seat currently represented by Republican Rep. John Rutherford.
Upham has described himself online as a prosecutor seeking to repair a broken political system. His campaign had not issued a publicly reported statement explaining, retracting, or apologizing for the video.
The original campaign message focused on bipartisanship and opposition to political extremism. The latter call for Trump’s death stood in direct conflict with that stated platform.
Federal threat law applies.
Federal law makes it a crime to knowingly and willfully threaten to kill, kidnap, or injure the president. A conviction can result in up to 5 years in prison, a fine, or both.
The presence of disturbing language does not automatically prove that a federal offense occurred. Prosecutors must evaluate the complete communication and the evidence surrounding it.
Investigators may examine related posts, private messages, prior conduct, and any signs of preparation. They may also consider whether the speaker possessed weapons or attempted to contact the intended target.
The Secret Service does not routinely disclose those protective-intelligence steps. Revealing investigative methods could expose security procedures or interfere with efforts to assess a potential danger.
The agency’s acknowledgment does not mean it has reached a criminal conclusion. Its immediate role is to protect the president while investigators determine whether the communication presents a credible risk.
Previous attacks shape response.
The federal review follows two attempts against Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign. During the Butler assassination attempt on July 13, Trump suffered a gunshot wound at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Rally attendee Corey Comperatore was killed, while David Dutch and James Copenhaver suffered serious injuries. A Secret Service counter-sniper killed the gunman.
Another case began after an agent spotted an armed man near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach on September 15, 2024. Ryan Wesley Routh was later convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump.
Routh was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2026, plus an additional 84 months for related offenses. A federal jury had convicted him on all five charges.
Those attacks do not determine whether Upham’s words meet the legal definition of a threat. They explain why explicit death language involving a president receives an immediate protective review.
No charges announced
Upham remained listed as a qualified candidate on Thursday, while military leaders continued to distance their institutions from his statements. The Secret Service had not described any interview, search, security action, or referral to federal prosecutors.
No arrest, criminal charge, or court date had been announced. The next official update could come from the Secret Service, the Justice Department, Florida election officials or Upham’s campaign.
