Warning: The following story contains graphic references to violence. Reader discretion is advised.
A suspected transgender activist is under federal indictment for repeatedly threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump, including one post about planning to “wear his face as a mask,” on social media.
A grand jury indicted Phillip Richard Wharton, who also goes by Sadie Online, with two counts of threatening a federal official in the Western District of Washington last Wednesday. Wharton, a 20-year-old who uses Ms./Mx. pronouns, faces a $250,000 fine and/or up to 10 years in prison.
According to the Lynnwood Times, Wharton — who went by @saydieonline on a now-deleted X account — posted, “What the guy in the White House sees after I kill the US PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN AND WEAR HIS FACE AS A MASK” on Aug. 19, 2025. Wharton also included a picture of their face.
The U.S. Capitol Police alerted the Secret Service that day. Upon investigating that account, agents found multiple threatening posts, including one on Aug. 11, 2025, stating that Trump and Elon Musk were “easy targets.” That post also included a reference to suicide.
Trans-identifying Washington man charged with threatening to kill President Trump | The Post Millennial
20-year-old Phillip Richard Wharton, who goes by the name Sadie, was indicted on Wednesday on charges of threatening a federal official. According to court documents, Wharton… pic.twitter.com/CeYHAuZmbj
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) March 1, 2026
Another post from Aug. 19 read, “WHEN I TWEET THAT ILL ASSASSINATE THE US PRESIDENT THEY DELETE IT.”
Wharton met with federal agents in September 2025 and confirmed that he made those posts, partly because he believed that Trump had been involved with sex trafficking as part of his alleged relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has not been charged with any crimes related to Epstein.
After speaking with Secret Service agents, Wharton said that he would stop making threats on social media. However, later that month, he wrote on Instagram, “My name is Sadie Online. I am going to kill the president tomorrow. This is not a joke, but a confession admissible in a court of law.”
Federal agents later found images on Wharton’s social media accounts depicting him holding an object resembling a firearm. It has not been confirmed whether that object is a firearm.
Officials arrested Wharton on Feb. 10 in Seattle, though he was released that same day on pretrial conditions, including mandated court appearances, no use of controlled substances without prescription, surrendering passports and travel documents, and undergoing mental health evaluation and treatment. Additionally, Wharton is to have zero contact with Trump.
“This is not a joke, but a confession admissible in a court of law.”
Whelp.
Phillip Wharton from Everett has been charged with two counts of threatening a federal official for posts saying he was going to kill President Trump and “wear his face as a mask.” @komonews pic.twitter.com/V1yo1jHyiI
— Jeremy Harris (@JeremyHarrisTV) February 26, 2026
Wharton filed a pretrial motion on Feb. 19 and specifically challenged the no-contact condition, arguing that he should be allowed to offer political commentary when appropriate. The Assistant United States Attorney replied on Feb. 26, opposing the condition modification because Wharton “contorts the condition into arguing that it prohibits him from speaking to or petitioning the [entire] executive branch, speaking to or petitioning the [entire] government; and attend[ing] protests, speak[ing] out on social media, or sign[ing] petitions about the issues they care about.”
Wharton’s arrest came amid a recent rash of violence by members of the transgender community. The Department of Justice recently confirmed it is investigating an incident from Sunday, Feb. 22, in which an individual — identified by federal sources as a transgender or nonbinary person — is accused of shooting at a Border Patrol agent in Pittsburg, N.H.
A transgender male in Rhode Island opened fire on his family before taking his own life during a youth hockey match last month. The shooter, Robert Dorgan, fatally shot his ex-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, and their adult son, Aidan. A third victim, Rhonda’s father, Gerald Dorgan, died from his injuries last week.
