Judges Refuse to Jail Man Who Threatened Trump, Admin Officials
A man from Rhode Island, who federal authorities allege threatened to assassinate President Donald J. Trump along with two senior officials from his administration, has been indicted by a grand jury yet remains free under court-ordered supervision, despite his history of violence and numerous warnings from prosecutors.
Carl D. Montague, 37, from Providence, is facing federal charges for making threats against the president and for interstate communications of threats. The indictment is a result of a tirade on Truth Social dated June 27, where Montague purportedly declared his intention to shoot and kill the president, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, as reported by Breitbart News.
An FBI affidavit indicates that Trump Media and Technology Group, which manages Truth Social, flagged the post and notified the U.S. Secret Service. Investigators traced the account, which operated under the handle “@tacoustic,” directly back to Montague.
The message, filled with profanity, included the following: “It’s a shame you won’t get to see the end of your f** term, because I’m gonna make sure I put a bullet rate [sic] between your f* head you piece of s, you Pam Bondi. Stephen f* Miller, all you b, are gonna get a f bullet to the head every single f one of you.”*
Three days later, on June 30, agents found Montague hiding in a bathtub at the residence of a known associate. According to the affidavit, before agents could even identify themselves, Montague spontaneously confessed and acknowledged making the threats.
Montague informed investigators that he was “smoking a lot of marijuana” when he composed the post, claimed he deleted his account afterward, and asserted that he possessed no weapons and had no real capability to execute violence. He also expressed regret for his post, although prosecutors later characterized his remorse as unconvincing.
Despite the gravity of the threats, Montague was initially released on July 9 after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy Moses, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, on a $10,000 bond. This decision to release him faced significant backlash from the Department of Justice, which promptly filed a motion requesting the court to detain him while awaiting trial.
In that motion, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dulce Donovan outlined Montague’s criminal record, which includes four assault convictions from 2014 to 2022 and at least six violations of probation. Donovan emphasized that Montague committed three of these offenses while under court supervision and had consistently failed to adhere to required mental health and substance abuse treatment.
“Simply put, the defendant’s recent violent threats are the latest in a long-standing pattern of violent and threatening behavior,” Donovan stated, adding that Montague “lacks the ability to manage his aggression.”
The motion also highlighted Montague’s conduct after his release, during which he directed a tirade filled with profanity at reporters outside the courthouse. Prosecutors contended that his behavior indicated he continued to pose a danger to both the specific individuals he threatened and the general public.
Nonetheless, U.S. District Judge Melissa R. DuBose, who was appointed earlier this year by President Joe Biden, rejected the DOJ’s motion on July 25. Instead, she mandated that Montague wear a GPS ankle monitor, established an 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew, and permitted him to remain free while awaiting trial.
This ruling marks the second occasion on which judges appointed by Democrats have opted not to incarcerate Montague despite objections from the DOJ, raising concerns about whether the judicial system is adequately addressing the seriousness of the threats.
Montague is now awaiting arraignment on the grand jury indictment, which has yet to be scheduled. If found guilty, he faces potential federal prison time for the threats, although the specific sentencing exposure has not been publicly disclosed.