A man from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced to 27 months in prison after admitting to making online threats against then President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Michael David Hanson, 44, received his sentence on March 2, 2026, in federal court before U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan. He will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Hanson pleaded guilty to charges of making threats against the president and successors to the presidency. The case stems from a December 22, 2023 post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where Hanson wrote: “#joeAndKamala I’m asking you to resign on Monday your alternative is death brutally murdered…” He admitted that the message was intended as a threat toward President Biden and Vice President Harris.
“Online death threats made against leaders of the United States are criminal acts, not protected speech,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The U.S. Secret Service and Phoenix Police Department are to be commended for quickly identifying and arresting Mr. Hanson, whose 27-month sentence should serve as a warning that there are real-world consequences for threatening elected officials.”
William Mack, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Phoenix Field Office, stated: ”The U.S. Secret Service has zero tolerance for threats against our protectees. Let this serve as a warning. If you threaten the President of the United States, we will find you, we will arrest you and you will face justice,” he said. “We want to thank the Phoenix Police Department as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona for their assistance in this case.”
The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service with support from the Phoenix Police Department; prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
More information about the office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
