Inset: Tranard Dell (Volusia County Jail). Background: President Donald Trump arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, May 1, 2025 (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta).
A Florida man is behind bars for threatening to kill President Donald Trump in a post on social media, according to federal authorities.
Tranard Dell, 31, stands accused of one count each of threatening to kill the president and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal officer with a threat to murder, according to a 6-page criminal complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida on Thursday.
A resident of Port Orange, a medium-sized seaside town in the Daytona Beach metro area, the defendant was arrested last month by the U.S. Secret Service in response to a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In the March 20 post, a “Twitter” user identified as “@rockstarkidd31” with the display name “Tray” tagged the 45th and 47th president’s handle and relayed a death fantasy, culminating in a series of violent threats, the federal agent alleges in the charging document.
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The threatened violence is exceedingly graphic and explicit; the complaint contains a screenshot of the offending X post in question.
“[E]veryyyyyday of my life I just wish I can cut the news on too hear that you’ve died gotten shot or had a stroke you one dumb silly ass b— and I’ll kill your a— myself you better not come to Florida I’m gone shoot your brains everywhere,” the social media post reads.
The Secret Service then subpoenaed the Twitter account in question and traced the IP address back to an apartment in Port Orange where a 79-year-old woman lives. Investigators then searched Florida driver’s licenses containing that address — one of those registered licenses belonged to Dell, according to the complaint.
In late April, an investigator interviewed the resident, who confirmed she knew Dell and said he “routinely visits” her in her apartment.
When authorities caught up with Dell, he was allegedly not interested in discussing the alleged incident.
From the complaint, at length:
On April 24, 2025, [Secret Service officer] J.E. contacted a cellular phone number associated with DELL. DELL answered the phone and J.E. identified himself as law enforcement and asked if he could speak with DELL. DELL demanded to know what the conversation would be about, to which J.E. explained that he was investigating a threat posted on Twitter. DELL became angry and told J.E. not to show up to his residence or J.E. would not be walking. DELL also made a verbal threat to shoot J.E. if he showed up.
After the call ended, DELL attempted to call J.E., who did not answer. DELL then sent J.E. several text messages, including, “B— pull up to my s— b— I’m gone shoot you in your mf face” and “Come here I bet you won’t leave walking or talking.”
The threatening message attributed to Tranard Dell (Complaint).
The Secret Service officer then requested backup from the local police department in Port Orange and began surveillance of the apartment building. While watching the apartment, authorities saw a man outside with a cellular phone, so they dialed Dell’s number again and saw the man answer, according to the complaint. Dell “again threatened to kill J.E.,” the charging document alleges.
After being Mirandized, the defendant allegedly admitted the “Twitter account” belonged to him but “denied making the threatening posts against President Trump,” according to the complaint.
During a later interview, however, Dell “recanted his earlier denial that he had made the threatening post against the President and admitted that he had authored the post,” authorities say.
The Secret Service tied the threat to a direct policy of the Trump administration.
“Dell stated he was upset when he had made the post because he was worried that the Trump administration was going to take away his federally assisted housing,” the complaint goes on. “Based on open-source research, I know that approximately one week before Dell’s Twitter post, the Associated Press had reported that the Trump administration intended to terminate a $1 billion federal housing program.”
Dell joins a growing number of men arrested for allegedly making threats against Trump.
In early April, another Florida man was arrested on similar charges after allegedly posting Facebook threats against Trump’s life in order to game the stock market. Days later, Robert King of Texas was accused of posting threats against Trump and Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem over disagreements on immigration policy. In mid-April, a man in Georgia was accused of threatening Trump, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the White House.
The defendant is currently being detained in the Volusia County Jail on $50,000 cash or surety bond.
