Inset: Michael Wiseman (Palm Beach County Jail). Background: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, attend the Republican National Convention, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File).
A Florida man has been arrested over a series of threats to kill former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, according to police.
Michael Martin Wiseman, 68, stands accused of one count of intimidation — written or electronic threats to kill or inflict bodily harm, according to Palm Beach County Jail records.
The timeline of the alleged threats is not clear, however, the allegations come at a fragile time — only days after an assassin’s bullet narrowly avoided taking Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The defendant was arrested on Friday and booked into the county lockup by 6:42 p.m. Eastern Time, according to police and jail records.
An investigation into Wiseman began after law enforcement received “multiple online crime tips” about the alleged threats, according to the Jupiter Police Department. Residents of the Sunshine State coastal city also expressed “in person” concerns about the defendant, police say.
“After investigating the reports and the suspect’s Facebook account, JPD detectives found that Wiseman had made multiple threats against Trump and Vance,” the department wrote in a press release. “Threats were also made concerning bodily harm to members of the Trump and Vance families. JPD coordinated the investigation with the United States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. JPD officers took Wiseman into custody without incident.”
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Details about the nature of the threats are scarce — at least formally.
A review of screenshots posted online appears to show a Facebook account identified as “Michael M. Wiseman,” suggesting sexual violence against female members of Trump’s and Vance’s families and expressing the notion that both men should be physically harmed.
Those screenshots, which have not been verified by law enforcement, also appear to praise the Butler, Pennsylvania shooter.
Law&Crime reached out to the Jupiter Police Department for additional details about this story, but no response was immediately forthcoming.
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According to Palm Beach County court records, Wiseman was arraigned on Saturday morning with his wife present. Prosecutors framed the alleged crimes as “written threats to kill.”
Several dozen documents have already been filed in the case, but few are available on the public docket.
Prosecutors moved for the defendant to remain in pretrial detention — arguing he is a threat to the community and that he is charged with a “dangerous crime,” which, in Wiseman’s case, means a felony in the first degree.
Typically, under Florida law, the crime Wiseman is charged with is considered a second-degree felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison.
Judge Cymonie Rowe agreed with the state and ordered the defendant to remain in jail pending a hearing. He is also ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victims or their families.
Wiseman is slated to appear in court on Aug. 19 and again on Sept. 12.
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