Man accused of threatening GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy

Federal authorities in New Hampshire charged a man accused of threatening to kill businessman and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy last week, according to court documents made public Monday and multiple reports.

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Authorities arrested Tyler Anderson on suspicion of making the threat Friday in Strafford County. Ramaswamy was not named in court records, though a campaign spokesperson confirmed to USA Today and CNN that he was targeted in the threat.

“We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans,” Stefan Mychajliw, Ramaswamy’s deputy communications director, told USA Today.

Investigators said a member of Ramaswamy’s campaign staff sent out texts to tell voters about a campaign event scheduled for Monday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The text welcomed voters to attend a meet and greet with Ramaswamy over a breakfast buffet.

The staff member got two replies from a New Hampshire cellphone number. The first said, “Great, another opportunity for me to blow (the Candidate’s) brains out!” while the second threatened to “kill everyone who attends.”

Authorities traced the number to Anderson, court records show. On Saturday, they searched his home and found the text messages in a deleted folder. Investigators said they also found threatening texts sent to a second presidential candidate, in which he threatened to kill the candidate and to commit a mass shooting.

In court records, officials said Anderson admitted to having sent the texts and to sending similar threatening messages to “multiple other campaigns.”

Anderson faces one count of transmitting interstate threats to injure the person of another. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a preliminary and detention hearing, records show.