Peter Stinson, founder of the Mayday Movement USA’s 24/7 sit-in calling for the impeachment, conviction, and removal of President Trump, was arrested on June 13 by the FBI for allegedly making threats against Trump in social media posts. He has since been released on home detention pending a response by prosecutors to motions filed by his defense.
[06/20/2025: This article was updated to include that Mr. Stinson’s attorneys have declined to provide comment on his case at this time.]
Originally reported by CBS and Newsweek, the FBI arrested Peter Stinson on Friday night. It alleges that from 2020 until June 2025, Mr. Stinson made threats against Trump, including threats to poison, use a knife, or shoot him. When previously interviewed, Mr. Stinson was adamant that impeachment is the “only non-violent way” to remove Trump from office, and that Mayday is a peaceful movement that does not take direct action. When asked what he meant, he stated that Mayday does not engage in any unlawful activity or civil disobedience and holds a valid permit for their location outside Union Station.
While one volunteer provided a tip on Saturday evening that Mr. Stinson had been arrested by the FBI, others declined to give comments. On Sunday, a volunteer officially stated that Mr. Stinson had been arrested by the FBI. Asked if they knew the reason, the volunteer responded, “We do not, the warrant is apparently sealed.” The affidavit was unsealed on June 16.
On June 18, Mr. Stinson was released on home detention by Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis following a pretrial hearing, per docket records. According to a WUSA9 report, Judge Davis stated, “The weight of the evidence, on a scale from one to 10, let’s just say it’s not on the side of 10.” No weapons were found in Mr. Stinson’s home, which only contained two BB guns, and Judge Davis “withheld ruling for now on whether to find probable cause” pending an opportunity for the prosecutors to file response motions to Mr. Stinson’s defense, per WUSA9. A volunteer speaking anonymously also noted that only two BB guns were found in Mr. Stinson’s home, although it is unclear whether they learned this from court proceedings, WUSA9 report, or another source. The prosecution has until June 25 to file a response, according to online filings.
Mayday Movement Responds to Arrest–Cites Political Motivation
Since Mr. Stinson’s arrest, Mayday has rushed to issue a response. On June 16, Mayday issued statements on its social media speculating that the arrest may be politically motivated. The statement by Mayday noted that:
“This allegation does not align with Peter as we know him, nor the values of this movement. Peter has always made it clear that our work is rooted in peaceful, lawful action. … Peter has been targeted by the FBI, using social media comments that they dug up from 2020. One would expect the FBI to act quickly in 2020 if they found these comments to be threatening.”
As recently as May 26, Mr. Stinson can be seen in a video posted to his alleged account stating that “Mayday Movement USA seeks the impeachment and removal of the president of the United States–we’re doing it through non-violent means, congressional lobbying, community awareness, … and art.”
Similarly, a volunteer speaking on the condition of anonyminity noted that “Hearing this happen [the arrest of Mr. Stinson] doesn’t quell my concerns that the Trump Adminstration is behaving honestly or in the best interests of the American people.”
According to the affidavit and social media posts allegedly published by Mr. Stinson that were independently reviewed, on March 9th, 2025, Mr. Stinson posted “He needs to be luigied.” The affidavit, which was filed by a U.S. Park Police Detective Sergeant assigned to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, alleged:
“Based on my training and experience, I know ‘luigi’ has recently increasingly been used on social media platforms to imply the assassination of a CEO or other person in power as a means of social justice.”
The affidavit also alleges that Mr. Stinson posted the term “8647” on Bluesky between May and June. Independent reviews of the Bluesky account alleged to belong to Mr. Stinson also identified the term referenced numerous times over the past month. While “86” originated as a slang term to denote throwing something out, it has become famous recently for its use by former FBI director James Comey in an X post (formerly Twitter) that the Trump administration has claimed was a threat. The term has since generated significant debate, as some claim it still refers to the old slang of simply removing something, while others claim it is a call for violence against the President. The affidavit states:
“This is likely in reference to an Instagram post made by former FBI Director James Comey of a photo of seashells spelling out ‘8647.’ The post by Comey was interpreted in the news media as a violent threat to President Trump and prompted an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service. Stinson has since made 13 additional posts on Bluesky including the text, ‘8647’.”
The affidavit also cites multiple instances between 2020 and 2025 where Mr. Stinson allegedly posted on X and Bluesky accounts that he would “pull the trigger,” “twist the knife,” asked about eliciting crowd sourcing a contract hit, and poison President Trump.
However, Mr. Stinson’s attorneys–two publicly assigned defenders–argue that Mr. Stinson is operating squarely within his First Amendment rights, and that the nature of his alleged comments lack the “true threat” condition for the charges filed against him.
“The absence of any evidence of specific planning, preparation, or capability to carry out violence, combined with [Mr. Stinson’s] repeated disclaimers [that he cannot] and abstract nature of his statements, establishes that the government will face significant constitutional challenges in prosecuting this case[.]”
Mr. Stinson’s attorneys go on to argue that his alleged statements on social media fall under political hyperbole, and that his alleged claimed association with ANTIFA–the decentralized organization that has been accused of inciting violence in protests–does not in itself constitute criminal activity.
“It therefore cannot be a crime to say publicly that one belongs to ANTIFA. Nor does the Affidavit allege that Mr. Stinson has ever engaged in any coordinated tactics to impede law enforcement or used violence to further ANTIFA’s cause.”
Mr. Stinson’s attorneys also argue that the same person he is alleged to have threatened has made substantially similar comments in the past: President Trump. Arguing in their motion, the attorneys said:
“In 2016, for example, then-candidate Trump stated about Hillary Clinton: ‘If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people–maybe there is, I don’t know.’ This statement … was widely criticized but also recognized as protected political speech.”
According to one volunteer who spoke anonymously, Judge Davis called Mayday peaceful, and said the statements that Mr. Stinson allegedly made on social media did not constitute clear intent. The volunteer clarified that they were not at the court hearing on Wednesday, but that they received insights from someone who was. The volunteer also noted that the investigation allegedly began in April, shortly after Mayday filed its permit request to establish a 24/7 presence on the National Mall, and that their permit was not approved until one day before they were scheduled to begin their sit-in. The volunteer expressed a belief that these issues were connected.
Mayday has noted that they believe the charges to be “exaggerated and overblown” and that “Through a continuous, peaceful protest, we aim to hold our leaders accountable and restore constitutional integrity.” In a press conference given by Mayday on June 18, Hannah, a volunteer at Mayday, stated that while Mr. Stinson had the original idea for the movement, he withdrew from leadership in April and has not been in a leadership role since then. Mr. Stinson had similarly stated in prior interviews throughout May that he had withdrawn from leadership roles to allow others to shape the direction of the movement.
Mr. Stinson’s attorneys declined to provide comments on his case at this time.
“The Peter we know only talks about non-violence.”
A Protest in Front of Heritage Becomes Heated
On June 9, following the Unite4Veterans rally in DC the previous Friday that protested against President Trump, Mayday Movement participants walked with veterans and Cliff Cash to protest in front of the Heritage Foundation. Cliff Cash is a well-known comedian and political commentator. On June 16, a volunteer noted that during the protest at Heritage, members of the Foundation looked “rattled.” Asked why they might have had that appearance, the volunteer stated that they likely are not used to having well-known people like Cliff Cash protesting outside their building. Pressed further on whether any threats were made that could have contributed, the volunteer was adamant that none were, and that Mayday is a non-violent movement, although the volunteer noted that the protest did “get spicy” at moments.
In videos uploaded by Mayday Movement USA on their Bluesky account on June 11, protesters could be seen standing outside Heritage while security attempted to move them back from the property line. Protesters and security were also identified having verbal altercations, with one security guard making a comment that is inaudible in the video, resulting in protesters asking if they “got that on video” while another protester yelled “F*** you!”
In another video apparently taken later at the same event, police could be seen standing in front of the Heritage Foundation with a fence blockade erected to delineate private from public property and keep competing parties apart. In the second video, one protester could be heard yelling “You will never stop f***ing hearing from us! There will be no peace!” before others initiated a chant of “no peace-no justice.”
In a third video published to Mayday’s Bluesky, protesters could also be seen playing music, singing, and celebrating while trucks honked as they drove by.
In Mayday’s June 18 press conference, they again reaffirmed that they are not led or funded by any single group, are 100% volunteer run, are committed to non-violence, and do not use violent rhetoric in their protest.
Allegations of Surveillance
Two volunteers provided comments alleging that since the protest in front of Heritage, Mayday has observed individuals they suspect are affiliated with Heritage visiting Mayday’s site and filming their activities (Mayday is located in public spaces).
The volunteers separately claimed that the press representative for Mayday had issues with their computer, which was investigated by another volunteer with a technology background who believed the press represantive was “hacked.” Pressed further on what that meant, one of the volunteers claimed that someone attempted to log into the press representative’s Apple account multiple times, noting that while this is not uncommon, the timing with Mr. Stinson’s arrest raised suspicion.
One volunteer also separately claimed that they have since found surveillance devices on the site, although they are unsure of where they originate from. The volunteer claimed the devices seemed “cheap.”
“A lot of people are freaking,” the same volunteer noted, before commenting that they hope this event allows them to set aside past differences and recruit more members.
Unclear how Arrest will Impact Mayday’s Impeachment Action Center’s Efforts to Navigate Congress
Prior to Mr. Stinson’s arrest, Mayday had made gains in lobbying Congress for the impeachment, conviction, and removal of President Trump. From May until June, they held meetings with Representative Thanedar, including presenting him with the Good Trouble Award (Mayday Movement USA Presents Rep. Thanedar with Good Trouble Award in May). They also hosted Representatives Green and Thanedar for a speech at the movement’s site on June 6, before the Unite4Veterans rally, and Representative Swalwell on June 14, before the Army’s 250th Anniversary parade. On June 14, Rep. Swalwell announced that he supports a third impeachment.
The lead for the Impeachment Action Center, Mayday’s congressional lobbying wing, commented to reporters on June 14 prior to knowledge of Mr. Stinson’s arrest becoming public that they continued to make progress on obtaining petitions for Trump’s impeachment. He noted that the movement had 800 new petitions signed during Pride Festival in DC the previous weekend, bringing the total number of petitions to around 3,000. He also stated that Mayday has taken between 500-600 people to meet their representatives on Capitol Hill since starting on May 1.
It is unclear now how Mr. Stinson’s recent arrest will impact Mayday’s continued efforts to attract members of Congress, or in presenting itself as a peaceful movement for everyday Americans.
When requested for comment on Mr. Stinson’s recent arrest, Rep Thanedar’s office declined comment but noted that they will be releasing a formal statement soon. Reps Green’s and Swalwell’s offices did not return requests for comments by the time of this article’s publication.
The Heritage Foundation and DOJ were also reached out to for comments. This article will be updated when an official statement is received.
Riley Harty is an independent photojournalist covering social activism in and around Washington, DC. Since May 1, he has embedded with Mayday Movement USA as an independent journalist to document their activities and the evolution of their movement.