PORTSMOUTH, NH — A New Hampshire man who sent text messages threatening Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and attendees at a campaign event was arrested Monday, the Justice Department announced.
Tyler Anderson, 30, of Dover, New Hampshire, was charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another, and is scheduled to make an initial appearance today in federal court in Concord at 2:30 p.m. ET.
According to the charging documents, Anderson received a text message from the victim’s campaign notifying him of a political event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Anderson responded to the text message on Dec. 8, stating: “Great, another opportunity for me to blow his brains out!” and “I’m going to kill everyone who attends and then f— their corpses.”
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign, said in a statement Monday, “We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans.”
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Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign event at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Dec. 11, 2023. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
“Our security team worked closely with New Hampshire state police, who are some of the best in the nation. We’re going to let the investigators do their work and figure out who this person is and what their motives might be,” McLaughlin added.
The charge against Anderson comes with the possibility of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Ramaswamy hosted the campaign event on Monday morning at the Roundabout Diner, in Portsmouth.
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The multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate spoke and took questions for roughly an hour from a crowd of close to 100 people.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign event at the Roundabout Diner in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Dec. 11, 2023. A New Hampshire man was arrested for allegedly sending text messages threatening to kill Ramaswamy and other attendees at Monday’s political event. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Asked on Friday, as he campaigned in Iowa, whether he’s received threats on his life and if he was concerned for his safety, Ramaswamy told reporters “we are confident in terms of our position.”
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The 38-year-old Ramaswamy, whose initial surge of support earlier this year was one of the biggest surprises in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination, has seen his poll numbers flatline or edge down this autumn.
With five weeks to go until the Iowa caucuses lead off the GOP nominating calendar, Ramaswamy faces a steep uphill climb in a race where former President Donald Trump remains the commanding front-runner.
Fox News’ David Spunt, Chase Williams, James Levinson, Matthew Reidy, and Monica Oroz contributed to this story