Everett, Washington resident Phillip Richard Wharton faces two federal charges for allegedly threatening to assassinate the sitting U.S. president.

A federal grand jury returned the indictment on February 25, 2026, accusing Wharton of issuing explicit warnings about the president’s life in two separate social media postings months earlier.

Investigation and Threats

The federal probe began after U.S. Capitol Police identified a post Wharton published on X on August 19, 2025. The message accompanied a photo of Wharton and read: “What the guy in the White House sees after I kill the US PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN AND WEAR HIS FACE AS A MASK.”

Agents from the U.S. Secret Service traced the account to Wharton, then a 20-year-old residing in Everett. Following coordination with his father, agents conducted an interview with him on September 8, 2025, at Twin Foxes, a local bar in Everett.

During that conversation, Wharton acknowledged authorship of the August post, explaining that his motivation stemmed from convictions that the president had played a role in sex trafficking operations. Officials cautioned him on the legal implications of issuing threats against the head of state, and Wharton reportedly committed to scaling back his public statements.

However, in mid-September, Wharton followed through with a second warning, this time on Instagram. Posted on September 23, that message declared: “I am going to kill the president tomorrow. This is not a joke, but a confession admissible in a court of law.”

Additional posts reviewed by investigators showed Wharton holding what appears to be a handgun and pressing a blade against their own neck.

Arrest and Pretrial Release

Wharton was taken into custody on February 10, 2026, after a criminal complaint was filed. That same afternoon, he appeared before Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson, who granted him release on his own recognizance.

He remains free pending trial under a set of court-imposed conditions, including:

  • Handing over all current and previously issued passports, a U.S. document he submitted on February 12, 2026.
  • Completing a comprehensive behavioral health assessment and adhering to any therapeutic interventions recommended.
  • Refraining from both direct and indirect communication with the president, the designated victim in the case.

A preliminary hearing is set for March 3, 2026, before Judge Peterson to assess the sufficiency of evidence and determine whether the case should proceed to trial.