A man has been arrested after repeatedly threatening to kill Donald Trump with a sword, according to US authorities. Andrew D. Emerald, 45, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was charged with eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications for his social media threats against the president. He called for Mr Trump to be killed publicly and with a sword in the posts and mentioned tracking him to his Florida home, court documents revealed.

On May 15, 2025, he wrote: “If Trump is not dead by 2026 I’m going to Mar-a-Lago and I’m going after [him] myself … I have very good reason to threaten his life and to go after it.” FBI agents and other officials went to Mr Emerald’s home to arrest him on Wednesday, using a battering ram to force the door open when he refused to answer it, the New York Times reports. The 45-year-old then allegedly appeared holding a long sword and told the agents they would have to shoot him before bolting the front door.

The authorities eventually convinced Mr Emerald to drop the weapon and step outside the property, where he was arrested and taken into custody.

Six blades including two long swords were found by officers in a search of his home, according to reports.

Court documents also showed that police previously visited Mr Emerald in 2018 after a tip-off about his social media posts threatening Mr Trump.

He agreed to be submitted into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System at the time, which revoked his ability to buy firearms.

Authorities received a fresh tip-off in May 2025 after Mr Emerald admitted to threatening the US president for a decade and pledged to kill any law enforcement officials who tried to arrest him.

The 45-year-old was ordered to be held in custody until his case is heard in May by the federal prosecutor’s office.

Each of the counts carries a sentence of up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000 (£190,000)