Full event: Pam Bondi reveals Charlie Kirk copycat murder plot against podcaster Benny Johnson|Trump

Federal and state authorities held a briefing to announce the arrest of George Isbel Jr., charged with mailing violent threats to conservative media personality Benny Johnson and his family, only weeks after the assassination of Charlie Kirk and amid a surge in high-profile political violence. Officials described the letter as “vicious,” crediting swift collaboration between the USPS, FBI, FDLE, and Tampa Police for tracing and apprehending the suspect across state lines. Johnson, addressing the press, recounted the climate of targeted violence against right-wing figures—including recent attacks on law enforcement, elected officials, and journalists—blaming the normalization of political violence on extremist rhetoric and calling for national unity and a return to peaceful debate. He closed by thanking the Trump administration and law enforcement for protecting his family, urging Americans to reject all political violence regardless of party.