Podcaster Benjamin Southworth Arrested on Threats Against Trump

Benjamin Azariah Southworth looked grim as he was marched away in handcuffs from his Westlake apartment on Thursday morning. The 40-year-old podcaster stared down a photographer with a menacing expression right before being taken into custody in Los Angeles. He faces charges for harassing phone calls, cyberstalking, and threatening the life of President Donald Trump.

Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the nation immediately after the arrest. 'As threats against President Trump's life escalate, the Department of Justice will respond with the full force of law,' he stated. The official added that anyone making these threats online would no longer hide behind screens. We will hold perpetrators of violent threats accountable for their actions.

Southworth ran a podcast called Yass, Jesus! and was known as a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who came out in 2008. Yet prosecutors accused him of using his platform to express hatred toward the President and his supporters. 'Southworth used these online platforms to publicly engage in and encourage the abuse and harassment of the President and to threaten violence against the President,' said the Central District of California United States Attorneys' Office.

The evidence paints a dark picture. On April 7 earlier this year, Southworth allegedly posted an Instagram video full of threats. 'I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump,' the recording reportedly stated. Another clip declared that the government was illegitimate and out of control, demanding a course correction. Kill Donald Trump.

Court documents obtained by the LA Times revealed even more disturbing text messages sent in January 2025. One message read: 'but if I could kill him, I wouldn't waste the opportunity.' Three months prior to his arrest, Southworth allegedly published the home address of an attorney who had served as Trump's personal lawyer. He shared a photo of the victim and a photo of their home on TikTok with the caption, 'No peace for traitors.'

First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli was clear about the stakes. 'There is zero tolerance for political violence, especially for threats directed at the President,' he said. Threatening an elected official with violence is a serious offense. You will be arrested and charged as Mr Southworth found out this morning.

The case took a strange turn involving court rulings on free speech. On March 31, Southworth posted a video to his Holy Menace Instagram account before the site was deactivated. 'Since the [United States] Supreme Court has ruled today that psychological, spiritual, emotional and physical torture known as gay conversion therapy is free speech, I want to practice my free speech as a survivor of conversion therapy for five years,' he claimed in the indictment obtained by the Los Angeles Times. That same day, the Supreme Court had ruled that Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youths violated the First Amendment.

Kill Donald Trump. Kill that motherf**** pedophile in the White House. Kill that traitor of the United States Constitution. These words appear in the legal documents detailing his arrest.

That's all,' the podcaster allegedly said in the video. The words hang heavy, suggesting a line drawn between opinion and intent that the law now scrutinizes.

Southworth also appears to sell stickers featuring a mouse with big eyes and bows, accompanied by the phrase 'Kill Trump,' according to Holy Menace HQ. These items sit on shelves while court documents obtained by the Times reveal text messages sent in January 2025 claiming, 'but if I could kill him, I wouldn't waste the opportunity.'

On April 7, Southworth allegedly posted a video stating: 'I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump' and 'This government is illegitimate and out of control. It's time for course correction. Kill Donald Trump.' The podcaster, who writes and formerly presented 'The Remix,' faces serious consequences now that the rhetoric has crossed into criminal territory.

Armando Marquez, Special Agent in Charge of the US Secret Service's Los Angeles Field Office, stated: 'The safety and security of those we protect is our highest priority, and we are committed to ensuring that anyone who threatens that – whether online or otherwise – will face justice.' He spoke plainly about protecting lives against threats.

Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, added: 'Cyberstalking and threats of murder are not considered mere political rhetoric under the law, but are serious criminal offenses that lead to prosecution, as today's arrest highlights.' The distinction between speech and action remains clear in federal courts.

If convicted, Southworth faces five years in federal prison for threatening the President, five years for cyberstalking, and two years for telephonic harassment. The stack of potential sentences piles up quickly when you add them together.

Southworth pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bond. He waits behind bars while the case moves forward.

The Daily Mail reached out to the White House and Southworth for comment. No response arrived yet, but the facts stand firm on their own.