‘I won’t miss’: Man who vowed to assassinate Trump using photo of previous attempt on president’s life pleads guilty

A 52-year-old man in Texas is facing several years behind bars after admitting that he threatened to kill Donald Trump in a social media post that alluded to a previous attempt on the president’s life and was accompanied by the caption, “I won’t miss.”

Robert Herrera on Wednesday appeared before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth S. Chestney of the Western District of Texas where he formally pleaded guilty to one count of making threats against the President of the United States, the Department of Justice announced.

A date for Herrera’s sentencing hearing has not been announced, but when he appears in court again, he’ll face up to five years in a federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

As Law&Crime previously reported, San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT on July 10 posted an article on its Facebook page pertaining to Trump’s planned visit to Texas Hill Country following the summer’s deadly floods.

In response to the news outlet’s post, Herrera posted a comment on July 10 threatening to kill the president. Herrera’s post included a photograph depicting Trump surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents immediately after Thomas M. Crooks attempted to assassinate him during a July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Using a sniper rifle, Crooks shot at Trump during the rally, partially striking the president’s ear but ultimately leaving him unharmed.

Herrera, using the handle “Robert Herrer,” included a comment with the photo from Butler that read: “I won’t miss.”

In the criminal complaint, which was not publicly available as of Monday morning, prosecutors say that a second unknown Facebook user replied to Herrera’s post stating, “you won’t get the chance, I promise.”

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Herrera responded to that unknown user’s comment, writing, “I’ll just come for you.” The response included a photograph depicting an assault rifle and loaded magazines, according to the Justice Department.

Authorities located and arrested Herrera the same day the threats were posted online. The U.S. Secret Service, FBI, and San Antonio Police Department are investigating the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“While the FBI fully supports and defends every American’s right to free speech, it is important to understand that threatening violence against any individual is not constitutionally protected speech, it is a federal crime,” Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office said in a statement immediately following Herrera’s arrest.

The post ‘I won’t miss’: Man who vowed to assassinate Trump using photo of previous attempt on president’s life pleads guilty first appeared on Law & Crime.