A former U.S. Marine running for Congress in Florida has been taken into federal custody after allegedly posting videos declaring war on President Donald Trump, calling him the “Antichrist” and urging Americans to overthrow and kill him, according to the Department of Justice.
William Upham, 35, of Jacksonville, appeared in federal court Thursday and was ordered detained following an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.
Federal prosecutors said Upham used an Instagram account connected to his political campaign to post what authorities described as a “call to arms.” In videos uploaded July 13, he allegedly called for Trump’s murder, discussed possible weapons and referred to military-style tactics that could be used in an attack.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States Donald J. Trump is the Antichrist,” Upham allegedly said in one recording quoted in the criminal complaint. “He is a false Messiah, and he is your enemy and he must be killed.”
Authorities said Upham posted a second video containing similar statements later that day.
The Secret Service was reportedly alerted by someone familiar with Upham who described a rapid and disturbing decline in his behavior. According to the complaint, the caller said Upham had abruptly resigned from his job as a state prosecutor, borrowed money to finance his congressional campaign, recently undergone a psychiatric hold and begun appearing online in his Marine uniform while making increasingly extreme religious and political declarations.
The caller said Upham was referring to Trump as the Antichrist and claiming he would overthrow the administration “in the name of God.”
A newspaper reporter later contacted the Secret Service after receiving alarming written responses from Upham.
“I made this video in uniform to declare war against President Trump on behalf of God,” Upham allegedly wrote. “The uniform represents the Holy War between God and the Anti-Christ.”
In another statement cited by prosecutors, Upham allegedly wrote:
“I will kill President Trump at the time that God chooses, not when I choose. Our country must overthrow President Trump by the violent use of force and kill him.”
The complaint said Upham had access to firearms.
Jacksonville sheriff’s deputies had already conducted a welfare check at his home on July 5. During that encounter, Upham allegedly told officers that he was the Messiah and that God had ordered him to die.
Upham served in the Marine Corps before being medically discharged on May 30, 2025, reportedly because of mental-health concerns.
The Marine Corps issued a public statement condemning his alleged remarks.
“The Marine Corps is aware of the disturbing statements made by William Upham,” the service said. “The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values.”
The case is especially alarming because Upham was not merely ranting anonymously from behind a keyboard. He was a former prosecutor, a military veteran and an active candidate seeking a seat in the United States Congress.
According to federal authorities, he was also openly describing the president’s assassination as a religious duty.
Upham has been accused, not convicted, and the allegations against him will now be tested in federal court. But the reported statements were explicit enough that authorities were not willing to dismiss them as political theater, campaign provocation or harmless online bluster.
A congressional campaign built around public service has now been replaced by a federal detention order and an investigation into alleged threats against the president of the United States.
