James Donald Vance Jr. (67) from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday after threatening to put US Vice President James David Vance in a “dead bag”, reports The Telegraph.
Federal prosecutors said he also threatened Donald Trump, the US president, and his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. and billionaire Elon Musk.
“If Trump, Vance or Musk ever come to my town again, they will leave in a body bag,” Vance wrote on the social media platform Bluesky in April, according to the criminal complaint.
“I’m either going to get shot by a Secret Service sniper or spend the rest of my life in prison. I only have about 10 years left to live anyway, so I don’t give a damn.”
Trump has concluded each of his three presidential campaigns since 2016 with a rally in Grand Rapids, the second largest city in Michigan, a key swing state.
In another post, Vance vowed to kill Trump Jr. in response to a social media post that suggested the 47-year-old might run for president in 2028, Jutarnji list reports.
In July, Vance pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or injure the president and vice president, as well as transmitting threatening messages. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“When Vance said he planned to kill our president and vice president simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line that we all accept, and therefore he had to be punished,” said Timothy VerHey, United States attorney general.
Last year, Donald Trump was assassinated twice during his presidential campaign. In July 2024, he was grazed by a bullet while speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In October, Richard James Spring was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a $2,000 fine in Michigan after threatening to kill Trump after he raped someone.
Vice President Vance used several different names throughout his life. Born James Donald Bowman, he was given the surname Hamel after his mother remarried, before adopting “Vance” in honor of his grandparents.
His mother also replaced “Donald” with “David” after she split from Vance’s father, Donald Bowman.
(Vijesti.ba)
