A Michigan man has been sentenced to federal prison after threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and two other individuals, including one of the president’s children, in a series of disturbing social media posts.
James Donald Vance Jr., 67, of Grand Rapids, received a two-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to two felony offenses involving threats against federal officials and threatening communications transmitted across state lines.
The sentence was announced November 17, 2025, by U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey of the Western District of Michigan.
According to federal prosecutors, Vance used the alias “Diaperjdv” on the social media platform Bluesky to publish multiple threats during March and April 2025.
The posts included specific statements threatening to kill Trump, Vice President Vance and two additional people.
One of the individuals targeted was identified as one of Trump’s children.
Federal authorities said the defendant went so far as to declare that he did not care whether Secret Service agents shot him or whether he spent the remainder of his life behind bars.
The threatening statements prompted an investigation by the Grand Rapids office of the United States Secret Service.
Vance ultimately pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or injure the president and vice president, along with a separate felony count involving interstate threatening communications.
Each offense carried a maximum potential sentence of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney imposed the two-year sentence during proceedings in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Maloney described the defendant’s actions as “grievous conduct” and determined that incarceration was necessary to discourage others from making similar threats.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that political disagreements do not excuse threats of violence against elected officials.
U.S. Attorney VerHey condemned the defendant’s use of social media to threaten public figures, arguing that online platforms should facilitate democratic discussion rather than intimidation.
“The advent of the internet gives us all an opportunity to engage in the healthy exchange of ideas that are so important to a democracy,” VerHey said.
However, he warned that some individuals instead use those platforms to spread fear and threaten others.
“When Vance said he planned to kill our President and the Vice President simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line we all understand and so had to be punished,” the prosecutor added.
Secret Service officials similarly emphasized that threatening federal protectees carries serious consequences.
“Threats against our nation’s leaders and their families will not be tolerated,” said William Shink, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Detroit Field Office.
Shink said individuals who threaten the president, vice president or other Secret Service protectees will face investigation and accountability.
The sentencing followed another federal prosecution involving threats against Trump in western Michigan.
On October 20, 2025, Richard James Spring of Comstock Park received an 18-month federal prison sentence and a $2,000 fine after pleading guilty to threatening to kill the president, per the Justice Department.
Spring was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering in Grand Rapids.
Both cases were investigated by the Grand Rapids office of the Secret Service.
The prosecutions highlight federal authorities’ efforts to address threats against political leaders, particularly those circulated through social media.
Vance’s two-year sentence concludes the prosecution arising from his threatening posts, reinforcing the distinction between protected political expression and criminal threats of violence.
