Did Police Arrest a Man Attempting to Assassinate Trump?
Was a man arrested near the White House for attempting President Donald Trump’s assassination? The answer, like so many rather flamboyant statements regarding Trump, is both “Yes” and “No.” Perhaps we can settle for “Maybe,” with an explanation. At the center of the allegations is one Michael Arega, whom police arrested in Washington D.C.
The U.S. government recently released files related to the assassination of President John Kennedy. But despite the much heavier security measures and more thorough intelligence sources, presidents of the United States can never take safety for granted. There have been a number of rumored threats against Trump.
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The Secret Service just arrested a Texas man on November 6, 2017. He wanted to kill “all white police officers” and may also have been targeting Trump, given the death threat against President Trump on the man’s Facebook page. (Source: “Man Arrested Near White House Called For Assassinating Trump,” Infowars, November 6, 2017.)
Trump Is in Japan
The police did, in fact, arrest Arega near the White House. But was it specifically because he was attempting Trump’s assassination? Headlines to this effect generate views but they are somewhat deceiving. The police arrested Michael Arega of Dallas near the White House but their concerns were about the threat he posed to police officers. President Trump and his wife Melania are currently visiting Japan.
Moreover, police arrested Arega rather calmly on November 6. It was in the afternoon. The Montgomery County, Maryland, police advised the Secret Service that Mr. Arega was heading to Washington. Unlike the famous Mr. Smith, who also went to Washington, Arega had a less-than-noble purpose. He wanted to kill officers at the White House.
It did not take long for the Secret Service to apprehend Arega as he was walking along Pennsylvania Avenue near Lafayette Park. The officials said that charges are pending, but Arega did not put up any resistance to the arrest. (Source: “Man arrested near White House after alleged threat against ‘all white police’ there,” CNN, November 6, 2017.)
It’s All on Social Media
Arega’s crimes so far, pending further investigation, relate solely to his Facebook activity. It was on this social media site that he made his death threats against Trump and the police. As for Facebook, Arega’s page said that he checked into the White House. (Source: Infowars, op cit.)
There’s no question that the police—and especially the Secret Service when it comes to POTUS—must consider all threats as credible. But in this case at least, to suggest that Arega was arrested while attempting Trump’s assassination is rather exaggerated.
It’s more the silent threats, the kind not necessarily posted on social media, that tend to be more dangerous. The explicit nature of Arega’s threat almost makes it seem as though he wanted to be caught. Arega could well be succumbing to stress, jeopardizing his already precarious mental health.
Arega’s former wife had sent a warning of her own to the same Montgomery County police department, in which she advised the Secret Service about Arega’s intentions as stated on Facebook. She warned the police that Arega had not been taking his prescribed medication. This affected his emotional state. It seems the former Mrs. Arega was the first to notice signs of trouble based on the messages she read on her ex-husband’s Facebook page. (Source: CNN, op cit.)
Arega’s Wife Is the Hero
It may well be that Arega’s ex-wife is the true hero in this situation. She noticed the problem and took the necessary actions that allowed the police and the Secret Service to act in the safest possible way, reducing risks to bystanders. She certainly helped save police officers in Washington and possibly even President Trump himself. Now, the police will have to delicately question Arega in such a way as to determine his motives.
Was it simply a case of a mentally ill individual looking for an outlet—and possibly death—by creating a dangerous situation for himself, involving guns and bullets? Does Arega truly hold Trump in such contempt that he would want to unleash the ultimate harm upon him? Moreover, when you consider the level of anti-Trump sentiment in the United States, it can become highly dangerous when it mixes with dangerous personalities, possible mental illness, anxiety, and anger.
Interestingly, it was exactly a year ago to the day of Arega’s arrest and threats that Trump experienced an apparent assassination attempt. Trump was in Nevada, addressing a press conference just two days before Americans would go to the polls—and elect him. On November 6, 2016, Secret Service officers dragged Trump off stage while others arrested Austyn Crites. But he had no weapons and was harmless. He did, however, have a sign that read: “Republicans against Trump.” Once, the situation was resolved, Trump came back on stage and resumed his rally. (Source: “Trump rally protester: I was beaten for a ‘Republicans against Trump’ sign,” The Guardian, November 6, 2016.)
