Three students at the University of South Alabama were taken into federal custody Friday after allegedly issuing online threats against President Donald Trump just hours before his rally on the Mobile campus.
The students each face charges of threatening the president based on social media posts purportedly made in the days leading up to President Trumps visit, according to the Lagniappe Daily. As reported by Fox News, the federal complaints were unsealed Friday afternoon, shortly before President Trump was scheduled to address supporters at the universitys Mitchell Center in a midterm campaign event.
According to FBI affidavits cited by Lagniappe, federal agents identified the posts while conducting social media intelligence sweeps in advance of the presidential visit. Investigators then used emergency disclosure requests, along with assistance from University of South Alabama police, to track down the individuals allegedly responsible for the threats.
One student allegedly posted a direct threat aimed at President Trump in the comments under a TikTok video discussing his planned appearance on campus, according to an FBI affidavit described by the outlet. Another student allegedly wrote on X that people would "remember the University of South Alabama the same way they remember Utah Valley University," according to the outlets account of the FBI filing.
Investigators noted that Utah Valley University was the site where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot last year, a reference that raised immediate red flags for law enforcement. A third student allegedly responded to a separate TikTok post about President Trumps appearance with language authorities interpreted as threatening.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said earlier in the week that his office was working with federal agencies to monitor social media chatter tied to the presidents upcoming rally. That cooperative posture underscored how seriously local and federal officials are now treating online rhetoric that appears to cross the line from political disagreement into explicit or implied violence.
The University of South Alabama, which has leaned on the principle of open debate while distancing itself from partisan events, stressed that the rally was not sponsored by the institution and that the Mitchell Center had been rented by the Republican National Committee (RNC). "The University of South Alabama unequivocally condemns any form of threats directed at elected officials or any individual with whom we disagree," the university said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We encourage open dialogue and active civic participation, and having a difference of opinion is a natural part of any vibrant community.
"However, there is a clear line between exercising free expression and engaging in intimidation or unlawful conduct." That distinction is at the heart of the conservative argument that robust political speech must be protected, while threats of violenceparticularly against a sitting presidentmust be prosecuted to preserve civil order and the rule of law.
President Trump proceeded with the rally as planned Friday evening, returning to Mobile roughly 11 years after his 2015 event in the city during the early months of his first presidential campaign. "It sort of all began here," Trump told the crowd Friday, reflecting on how his political movement first gained momentum in Alabama.
From the stage, he also acknowledged Sheriff Burch and University of South Alabama President Jo Bonner, signaling appreciation for both law enforcement and institutional cooperation in securing the event. Fox News Digital reported that it had reached out to the Department of Justice, FBI, Secret Service and the University of South Alabama for further details, as questions remain about the precise content of the alleged threats and how prosecutors intend to move forward in these newly unsealed federal cases.
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