Conservative commentator and MAGA influencer Benny Johnson reportedly joined Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi at a Justice Department press conference Friday to announce the arrest of a man accused of threatening to kill Johnson and his family.
Johnson, visibly emotional but resolute, used the moment to condemn what he described as a dangerous normalization of political violence on the left.
“Violence has been mainstreamed by the Democrat Party,” Johnson said from the podium. “It’s not extremist — it is mainstream — and we need a moment of reckoning here. This has to stop. This cycle must end.”
According to Johnson, the suspect sent a letter to his home “saying he hated our views and wanted us dead.” The man, whose identity has not yet been released, now faces federal charges and possible prison time. The Justice Department confirmed the arrest but declined to provide further details pending prosecution.
Standing beside Bondi, Johnson framed the incident as part of a broader trend of political intolerance. “Is any Democrat courageous enough to disavow violence?” he asked. “To call for individuals that espouse these things, like what happened to my family, what’s happening in Virginia — to call for those kinds of candidates to step down? Will Democrats vote for that? Because if you’re voting for that, implicitly you’re encouraging it. You’re endorsing it.”
Johnson emphasized that his message was not one of vengeance but of principle. “I don’t want political violence — I want peace in this nation. I love this country,” he said. “I want to be able to debate like Charlie did. I want to be able to raise my family in peace. That is our birthright.”
Referencing his Christian faith, Johnson declared that moral clarity must guide the nation’s response. “You cannot make peace with evil as a Christian. You cannot unite with people who want you dead,” he said. “I want unity in this nation. I want to be able to agree on more than what we disagree on. But for that first to happen, we must understand the battle. We are fighting good versus evil, darkness versus light. And good must conquer evil. Do not make peace with evil.”
The threat against Johnson comes amid heightened tensions following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose death has galvanized many on the right. Johnson invoked Kirk’s legacy throughout his remarks, framing the moment as both personal and political.
“Left-wing violence is exploding with copycats appearing everywhere,” he wrote later on X. “It is the greatest threat to our country today, targeting people for simply speaking the truth.”
Johnson vowed to continue his work and resist intimidation. “Let me be absolutely clear: We will not be silenced. We will not back down. We will not break. You lit a fire that cannot be put out.”
He closed by invoking Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as an inspiration for renewed activism. “Charlie Kirk taught us to go on offense. That is exactly what we will do. We will work harder, speak louder, and grow stronger. We will continue to move TPUSA’s mission forward. For Charlie.”
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