A 20-year-old West Virginia man has admitted in federal court that he threatened to rape and kill President Donald Trump and murder federal immigration agents, turning violent online talk into a real test of how far America’s political rage has gone.
Story Snapshot
- Federal prosecutors say Cody Lee Smith posted and messaged graphic threats to rape and kill President Trump and murder his supporters.
- Court records show he also called the immigration enforcement tip line and threatened to kill agents, the operator, and the operator’s family.
- A U.S. Attorney’s Office release confirms Smith has now pleaded guilty and faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
- The case highlights a fast-rising wave of violent threats against public officials that is straining trust in government and public safety.
What Cody Lee Smith Admitted Doing
Federal court documents and a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia say Cody Lee Smith, 20, from Clarksburg, admitted he made threats to kill President Donald J. Trump and to harm immigration enforcement agents. The indictment explains that in January 2026, Smith used Instagram to post and send violent messages aimed at Trump, Trump supporters, and federal officers. Smith’s guilty plea confirms he accepts responsibility for those threats.
𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐒 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐑∗𝐏𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐊!𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐏, 𝐌∗𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, pleaded guilty this week to threatening to r∗pe and k!ll President… pic.twitter.com/rZX4xnGXbL
— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) July 6, 2026
The indictment describes one public Instagram post where Smith said he would “kill [Donald J. Trump, Jr.’s] bitch ass dad,” referring to President Trump. It also says that on the same day he sent Donald Trump Jr. a direct message stating he would rape President Trump and kill him by cutting his jugular. According to a local criminal complaint, Smith also posted that he intended to “murder Trump supporters and/or war supporters and/or service members willing to bootlick,” broadening his targets beyond Trump himself.
Threats Against Immigration Agents and How Officials Responded
Federal prosecutors state that on January 18, 2026, Smith called the immigration enforcement tip line and threatened to kill agents in Clarksburg, West Virginia, as well as the operator and the operator’s family. A criminal complaint in Harrison County says he had earlier posted videos of himself contacting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and saying he would attack and kill immigration agents. Homeland Security investigators, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, state police, and the county sheriff’s office all reviewed his social media posts and confirmed multiple threats.
Smith’s threats did not stop at words about future attacks. The indictment notes a post that read, “If I see a single trump supporter I don’t care the relation[,] I don’t care their age[,] I don’t care if they are mentally handicap[,] I’m murdering them in front of their entire family[,] same goes to the first war supporter or service member who’s willing to bootlick.” Another post referenced “IMPEACH THIS MOTHERF[—–] WITH A.308” alongside a song titled “I Am Going to Kill the President of the United States of America.” These details helped build the federal case that his language went beyond anger into clear threats.
The Guilty Plea, Possible Sentence, and Legal Context
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Smith has now admitted guilt to federal charges for threatening the President and immigration enforcement agents. Under the law, he faces up to five years in prison for the presidential threat and up to 10 years for the threats against immigration agents, though a judge will decide the final sentence after reviewing federal sentencing guidelines. A federal magistrate judge presided over the plea hearing, and an assistant U.S. attorney is handling the prosecution. Earlier, in state court, Smith had also been charged with making threats of terroristic acts and held on $75,000 bail.
This case shows how online posts can quickly become federal crimes when they cross the line into direct, specific threats against named officials. The indictment charges Smith under federal laws that ban threats to kill the President and threats against federal officers. These laws exist to protect both elected leaders and front-line agents who many Americans see as part of a distant “deep state.” Supporters of both parties may disagree about policy, but few dispute that field agents answering tip lines should not have to fear for their lives every time the phone rings.
Growing Pattern of Violent Political Threats
Researchers say cases like Smith’s are part of a sharp rise in violent threats against public officials at all levels of government. One ten-year review of federal data finds that charges for threatening public officials nearly doubled between the mid-2010s and early 2020s. Another study reports that violent online rhetoric targeting leading U.S. officials more than tripled between 2021 and 2025, growing about five percent every month. Many of these threats come from lone individuals who feel alienated, angry, and unheard.
DHS announces the arrest of West Virginia resident Cody Lee Smith for calling the ICE tip line and threatening to kill the operator, their family, and ICE agents in Clarksburg, along with threats against President Trump.
• The post features Smith’s mugshot and stresses that…— Johnsmith (@simswholly) July 7, 2026
These trends feed the belief, common on both the left and the right, that government is failing to keep people safe or to listen to their concerns. Some conservatives see cases like this as proof that hatred toward Trump and his supporters is out of control. Many liberals see them as part of a broader climate of violence that threatens democracy itself. Expert studies warn that incendiary talk by political leaders can encourage political violence. When threats pile up, lawmakers say it changes how they act and even what laws they are willing to support.
Shared Concerns in a Divided Country
The Smith case touches core worries that older conservatives and liberals now share. Conservatives angry about “woke” agendas and open borders see federal agents forced to handle death threats for doing their jobs. Liberals upset about “America First” policies and cuts to social programs see the same broken system breeding rage instead of solving problems. Both sides suspect that distant elites and entrenched officials focus more on power and reelection than on protecting ordinary citizens from growing violence.
Violent talk aimed at presidents, immigration agents, and political supporters makes it harder for the country to debate tough issues like border security, policing, and free speech. Each extreme case convinces more people that the system is rigged and that no one in Washington is really in control. For readers watching this story, the key question is not only what happens to Cody Lee Smith at sentencing, but whether leaders in both parties will take rising threats seriously without using them as one more weapon in the political fight.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, iowacourts.gov, scribd.com, gnvinfo.com, documentcloud.org, isdglobal.org, ctc.westpoint.edu, en.wikipedia.org, journalofdemocracy.org, brookings.edu, youtube.com, facebook.com
