A Christian podcaster appeared to glare at a photographer as he was arrested on allegations that he threatened to kill President Donald Trump and urged that he be executed.
Benjamin Azariah Southworth, 40, was arrested Thursday morning in Los Angeles and now faces charges of making harassing telephone calls, cyberstalking and threatening the life of the President.
Southworth, known for the podcast Yass, Jesus!, was led out of his Westlake apartment in handcuffs, where he was photographed fixing an intense expression toward the camera as authorities escorted him away.
‘As threats against President Trump’s life escalate, the Department of Justice will respond with the full force of the law,’ said Attorney General Todd Blanche.
‘We will hold perpetrators of violent threats accountable, and anyone who makes these threats online will not be allowed to hide behind their screens.’
The podcaster, a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who came out as gay in 2008, was accused of publishing videos and sharing messages on social media to ‘express his hatred toward President Trump and the President’s supporters.’
‘Southworth used these online platforms to publicly engage in and encourage the abuse and harassment of the President and to threaten violence against the President,’ the Central District of California United States Attorneys’ Office said.
On April 7 earlier this year, Southworth allegedly posted a video to Instagram featuring a series of threats against the President including: ‘I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump’ and ‘This government is illegitimate and out of control. It’s time for course correction. Kill Donald Trump.’
Benjamin Azariah Southworth, 40, was taken into custody in Los Angeles on Thursday morning and charged with harassing telephone calls, cyberstalking and threatening the president’s life
The podcaster, a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights who came out as gay in 2008, was accused of publishing videos and sharing messages on social media to ‘express his hatred toward President Trump and the President’s supporters’
According to court documents obtained by the LA Times, Southworth also sent text messages that said ‘but if I could kill him, I wouldn’t waste the opportunity’ in January 2025
Southworth also allegedly published the home address of an attorney who had served as Trump’s personal lawyer, along with a photo of the victim and a photo of their home, three months prior, according to the Attorneys’ Office.
The TikTok post was allegedly accompanied by the words, ‘No peace for traitors.’
First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said that ‘there is zero tolerance for political violence, especially for threats directed at the President.’
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‘Threatening an elected official with violence is a serious offense, and you will be arrested and charged as Mr Southworth found out this morning,’ he added.
On the Holy Menace Instagram account, which has since been de-activated, Southworth posted a video of himself on March 31 saying, ‘Since the [United States] Supreme Court has ruled today that psychological, spiritual, emotional and physical torture known as gay conversion therapy is free speech, I want to practice my free speech as a survivor of conversion therapy for five years,’ the indictment obtained by the Los Angeles Times said.
That same day, the Supreme Court had ruled that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youths violated the 1st Amendment’s free-speech, the outlet reported.
‘Kill Donald Trump. Kill that motherf**** pedophile in the White House. Kill that traitor of the United States Constitution. That’s all,’ the podcaster allegedly said in the video.
Southworth also appears to sell stickers that feature a mouse with big eyes and bows accompanied by the phrase ‘Kill Trump,’ the website Holy Menace HQ, seen, shows
On April 7, Southworth allegedly posted a video and said: ‘I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump’ and ‘This government is illegitimate and out of control. It’s time for course correction. Kill Donald Trump’
Southworth, who is also a writer and former television presenter of ‘The Remix,’ also appears to sell stickers that feature a mouse with big eyes and bows accompanied by the phrase ‘Kill Trump,’ the website Holy Menace HQ shows.
According to court documents obtained by the Times, Southworth also sent text messages that said ‘but if I could kill him, I wouldn’t waste the opportunity’ in January 2025.
Armando Marquez, Special Agent in Charge of the US Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office, said: ‘The safety and security of those we protect is our highest priority, and we are committed to ensuring that anyone who threatens that – whether online or otherwise – will face justice.’
‘Cyberstalking and threats of murder are not considered mere political rhetoric under the law, but are serious criminal offenses that lead to prosecution, as today’s arrest highlights,’ Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, said.
If convicted, Southworth faces five years in federal prison for threatening the President, five years for cyberstalking and two years for telephonic harassment.
Southworth pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bond.
The Daily Mail reached out to the White House and Southworth for comment.