Former Teaching Assistant Arrested for Threats Against President Trump

Campus Incident and Initial Arrest

• 🎓 A graduate teaching assistant at Illinois State University, Derek Lopez, was arrested after flipping over a Turning Point USA table on campus.
• 🗣️ Lopez stated he believed his actions were what Jesus would do and that he was helping students by disrupting the distribution of what he called "propaganda."
• ⚖️ He was initially cited for disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property, with a court date set for November 5th.

Social Media Posts and FBI Involvement

• 📱 Investigators discovered that Lopez's social media posts had already drawn the attention of the FBI due to their inflammatory nature.
• 💬 Lopez described his social media activity as "performance art" and a way to express his anger and opposition to what he perceived as fascism and Nazism.
• ⚠️ He admitted to making statements that could be interpreted as threats, including a post about killing Charlie Kirk, though he claimed it was a response to Kirk's own controversial statements and not a literal threat.
• 🚨 The detective warned Lopez that his posts were bordering on terroristic threats and that further incidents could lead to jail time.

Escalation and Federal Charges

• 📰 The viral video of the table-flipping incident led to increased scrutiny of Lopez's online behavior, prompting further investigation.
• 🏛️ Due to the combination of the campus incident and his social media posts, including alleged threats against the President, Lopez was arrested again.
• 🔒 A judge ruled to keep Lopez in jail until his trial, citing strong evidence and the fact that he had ignored specific warnings.
• ⚖️ Lopez faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted of the charges, which include alleged online threats against the President.