A Kentucky man who repeatedly threatened to kill Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison, underscoring the escalating climate of hostility directed at conservative lawmakers.
According to Western Journal, 49-year-old Benjamin Keebler received a two-and-a-half-year prison term in federal court after pleading guilty in March to cyberstalking and transmitting threatening communications. Prosecutors said an audio recording captured Keebler referring to the congressman as deep state Massie while issuing one of several menacing messages.
Keebler allegedly placed multiple threatening calls and voicemails to phone numbers connected with Massies office, escalating his rhetoric over time. In one conversation with a staff member, he reportedly warned that he planned to come to the office armed with bear mace.
The threats grew more explicit in a February 2023 voicemail, where Keebler allegedly declared, Live by the gun. Die by the gun, boy. Federal authorities treated the messages as credible threats, particularly given the increasingly volatile national atmosphere surrounding political discourse.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Boone told the court that Keeblers conduct went beyond mere heated rhetoric and posed a direct threat to the functioning of representative government. He argued that threats of this nature against elected officials are inherently corrosive to a democratic society, sending a chilling message to those who step forward to serve.
Public records show Keebler is registered as an independent voter, distancing the case from the medias usual narrative that political violence is primarily a right-wing phenomenon. His actions instead reflect a broader breakdown in civil discourse that has too often been excused or minimized when directed at conservatives.
Keeblers attorney, Marvin Knorr III, contended that his clients behavior stemmed from untreated mental illness rather than genuine intent to carry out violence. Knorr cited a medical evaluation indicating that Keeblers bipolar disorder had gone undiagnosed and that his perception of the current aggressive and divisive political climate provided him with a reality-based target to project his agitated depression and mania onto.
Addressing the court, Keebler acknowledged that he had allowed his mental health struggles to spiral into criminal conduct and public disgrace. He admitted that his actions were a complete embarrassment and added, I recognize that by my own hand I have brought consequences upon myself.
U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning, who imposed the sentence, rejected any suggestion that political anger or mental health issues could excuse the threats. He told Keebler that his conduct completely crossed the line, emphasizing that the justice system must protect public officials from intimidation and potential harm.
As part of the sentence, Keebler is barred from any contact with Massie or the senator referenced in his threats and will be required to undergo mental health treatment under government supervision. The conditions reflect a dual priority: safeguarding elected officials while attempting to address the underlying issues that contributed to the criminal behavior.
The case comes amid a disturbing rise in political violence and attempted political assassinations in recent years, with conservatives often bearing the brunt of the most serious attacks. Most notably, there have been three assassination attempts against President Donald Trump, and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk died from a gunshot wound to the neck during an event at Utah Valley University in September 2025.
Violence has not been confined to one party, as illustrated by the October 2022 attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband, Paul, who was hospitalized after an intruder broke into their San Francisco home and struck him with a hammer. In June 2025, Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were murdered in their home by a gunman disguised as a police officer, further highlighting the growing danger faced by public officials and their families.
Against this backdrop, the sentence in Keeblers case sends a clear message that threats against elected representativesparticularly those who challenge the prevailing progressive agendawill be met with serious consequences. While the court acknowledged the role of mental illness, the ruling affirms that political grievances, however intense, do not grant license to terrorize public servants or undermine the rule of law.
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