A Jupiter man was arrested Friday after police said he allegedly made multiple online posts that “praised” the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and other threatening posts against the Republican presidential nominee and his running mate U.S. Sen. JD Vance.
Michael M. Wiseman, 68, was arrested Friday by Jupiter police, and he remained in the Palm Beach County jail as of Monday night on one count of written threats to kill or injure.
Multiple people complained and submitted online tips about Wiseman’s social media posts, according to a probable cause affidavit. An officer found several posts on Wiseman’s public Facebook and Threads accounts posted in the days after the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that “praised” the shooting and “were encouraging in nature for others to attempt the same,” the affidavit said.
A former fire chief who was attending the rally was shot and killed. Trump was taken off the stage with a bloody ear.
Wiseman allegedly posted on July 17: “Some people need to be better shots if they know they are going to kill a monster.” The officer found three posts from July 18, including one with a photo of Trump “in the crosshairs of a sniper scope” that said, “READY, AIM, FIRE. RINSE AND REPEAT,” the affidavit said. One public post on a Threads account associated with Wiseman celebrated the 20-year-old shooter.
People who sent tips to authorities said Wiseman was known in the Jupiter community. An officer went to Wiseman’s home and talked to him in his driveway. Wiseman talked with the officer “openly” about the posts and told the officer he made all of the posts by himself, the affidavit said.
Wiseman’s defense attorney declined to comment in an email Monday night.
The State Attorney’s Office is asking that Wiseman be detained ahead of trial, according to court records. A hearing on the issue was rescheduled for Thursday morning.
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