A protester at a “No Kings” rally in Seattle on Oct. 18 was recorded [1] telling a reporter he wanted to kill White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, video posted online shows, prompting an FBI probe into the man’s statements.
Dozens of demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies took place nationwide on Oct. 18.
Journalist Brandi Kruse posted video of the Seattle protester being interviewed while holding a sign reading, “Would You Like To Kill Nazis [With] Me?” In the clip, Kruse asked, “Who are you gonna kill?” and the man replied, “Nazis.”
When Kruse followed up, “Who do you define as a Nazi?” the protester answered, “What do you mean?”
In a later exchange captured on camera, the protester identified a specific target when Kruse asked, “In this context, who is a Nazi?”
The man responded, “Stephen Miller is a Nazi.” Kruse then repeated, “You’re going to kill Stephen Miller,” and the protester replied, “If I had the chance, yeah, I would.”
“Peaceful” No Kings marcher in Seattle tells me he will kill @StephenM [2] if he has the chance. pic.twitter.com/UuiEKvSPGI [3]
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) October 18, 2025 [4]
Kruse reported afterward that the FBI was investigating the threats.
I’m told the @FBI [5] is now involved.
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) October 19, 2025 [6]
She also posted video showing another protester who said killing Miller would be “justifiable,” according to her posts.
The threats against Miller come amid an extended campaign of harassment against him and his family. Miller and his family were forced to move from their Arlington, Virginia, home after what has been described as a targeted harassment effort.
The campaign included messages painted on public sidewalks near the residence—phrases such as “Stephen Miller is destroying democracy,” “No white nationalism,” and “Trans rights are human rights”—and flyers that reportedly listed the family’s home address.
At the same “No Kings” protests, other videos circulated showing participants expressing violent sentiments toward political figures and federal officers.
In one video posted Saturday by The Maine Wire, a protester was recorded saying that for her birthday she wanted to wake up the next morning to read President Trump’s obituary.
When asked by the reporter, “You’re wishing that President Trump is dead?” the protester replied, “Yes. Absolutely.”
⚡WILD: A No Kings protestor tells us in no uncertain terms that she wants Trump dead: pic.twitter.com/hSvnerFz75 [7]
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) October 18, 2025 [8]
Separately, at a “No Kings” event in Chicago, a man standing in front of a banner for the Progressive Labor Party allegedly urged attendees to shoot U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The man was recorded saying, “You gotta grab a gun, we gotta turn around the guns on this fascist system. These ICE agents gotta get shot and wiped out,” and added, “The same machinery that’s on full display right there has to get wiped out.”
Video originally posted to Instagram and later reposted on X by reporter Colin Rugg showed a Chicago protester making what appeared to be a “neck shot” gesture at counter-protesters who displayed a flag honoring Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
NEW: Young men show up to a ‘No Kings’ protest in Chicago to wave a Charlie Kirk flag.
Chicago PD allegedly made them take the flag down after some protesters started losing their minds over it.
“This is in Chicago Illinois west Beverly…
Oh and let’s mention chicago pd made… pic.twitter.com/W4gJVLX48m [9]— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 19, 2025 [10]
The article’s source material states that Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10 while debating college students at Utah Valley University.
The heightened rhetoric comes as ICE facilities in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have been the scenes of repeated clashes tied to opposition against the agency’s enforcement operations targeting illegal immigration.
Some rioters in Chicago called for ICE agents to be arrested or shot during earlier incidents, according to video posted online.
In Texas, two people were killed in a Sept. 24 shooting at an ICE office in Dallas, including the gunman, who reportedly took his own life.
The prompt material also notes two earlier incidents where shots were fired at ICE or Border Patrol facilities in Texas since July 4, 2025; ten people were later charged with attempted murder in connection with one of those incidents.
Authorities have expressed concern about other suspicious activity near high-profile targets.
The FBI is investigating a hunting stand reportedly set up near Palm Beach International Airport that had a line of sight to areas where the President would board or deplane Air Force One.
The climate of threats and violent rhetoric reflected in videos from Oct. 18 is consistent with broader indicators of extremism and political violence cited by observers.
A survey released in April 2025 by Rutgers University and the Network Contagion Research Institute is cited in the material as finding that 56 percent of “left-of-center” respondents believed assassinating President Donald Trump would be at least partially justifiable; the White House survived two attempts on the President’s life during the 2024 presidential campaign, according to the source text.
Officials have not publicly detailed every investigative step being taken in response to the Oct. 18 footage, but the appearance of explicit threats against a senior White House official and the reported targeting and harassment of his family have prompted federal inquiries.
Journalists and local law enforcement have circulated the videos widely on social platforms, and the FBI’s involvement in the Seattle case illustrates federal interest when threats target government officials.
The Oct. 18 “No Kings” demonstrations were nationwide and included events in multiple major cities.
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: ‘No Kings’ protests today in the Washington, D.C. area. pic.twitter.com/qRaamxjT47 [11]
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 18, 2025 [12]
The incidents captured on camera and shared online have intensified debate about political rhetoric, protest conduct, and the measures law enforcement should take to protect public officials and private citizens amid an increasingly polarized political environment.