Webworm Interviews The Man Indicted For Allegedly Threatening To Kill Donald Trump
Back in May I interviewed Azariah Southworth, the day after the FBI raided his home.
Any views and allegations expressed by Southworth are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of myself or Webworm.
It’s the first time I have ever said this in regards to Webworm’s very sane and smart comments section:
If you comment on this piece, please be aware that the nature of this case is sensitive, and to perhaps keep your comments broad, rather than specific.
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Hi,
Yesterday I woke to a spree of headlines about the FBI and Secret Service arresting Los Angeles man Azariah Southworth, for allegedly threatening to kill the President.
As reported in the LA Times yesterday, Southworth has been indicted on three counts: threats against the president, cyberstalking, and harassing telephone calls in interstate communications. A press release from the US Attorney's Office, Central District of California, has further details of the allegations:
“The U.S. Secret Service has zero tolerance for threats against the President of the United States,” said Armando Marquez, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office.
“Cyberstalking and threats of murder are not considered mere political rhetoric under the law, but are serious criminal offenses that lead to prosecution, as today’s arrest highlights,” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI, working with our partners at the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will ensure that threats and harassment against the President and others are addressed before threats turn to violence.”
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on Wednesday, from January 2026 to May 2026, Southworth used social media accounts on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as well as a website to publicly express his hatred toward President Trump and the President’s supporters. Southworth used these online platforms to publicly engage in and encourage the abuse and harassment of the President and to threaten violence against the President.
On April 7, 2026, Southworth posted a video on his Instagram account that contained a series of threats against President Trump, including, “I have been vocal in calling for the execution of Donald Trump” and “This government is illegitimate and out of control. It’s time for course correction. Kill Donald Trump.”
Three months earlier, Southworth published a post on his TikTok account listing the home address of a Victim 1 – an attorney who had been President Trump’s personal lawyer – along with a photograph of Victim 1 and another photograph of Victim 1’s residence. In the same posted [SIC], Southworth stated, “No peace for traitors.”
From January 2026 to May 2026, Southworth left a series of abusive messages online and over voicemail to Victim 2, who is Victim 1’s son, and made harassing telephone calls to Victim 3, who is Victim 1’s wife.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The name Azariah Southworth was familiar to me. After originally working in American Christian TV, Southworth came out as gay in 2008, left the church, and began advocating for an end to conversion therapy.
In January of 2025 he posted a series of viral TikTok videos alleging Michael Tait – the frontman of Christian band The Newsboys – was gay. That directly led to other men making allegations of abuse against Tait. In March of 2025, I talked to Southworth on background for a story that would become “He’s The Devil: A look inside the alleged assaults, lawsuits & shotgun shells involved in the downfall of Christianity’s biggest rock band.”
(The information he provided was not used in that story).
I assume he trusted me during that process, because about a year later – on May 20 this year – I received a very unexpected text message from Southworth:
He provided the search warrant and photos of the agents on his street, so I knew it was legit. He also explained the reason he suspected he’d been raided:
“Because I have been calling out the Sekulow family (one of Trump’s lawyers) online for defending Trump to their evangelical audience. I have also posted anti-fascist content online.”
With that in mind, the next day I agreed to interview Southworth at his house, to try and understand what had taken place, and why.
I had no further details at the time, apart from the vague information he'd provided in his text messages. The details outlined in the US Attorney's Office statement this week were unknown to me. Southworth appeared to have taken down his social media accounts, so Webworm couldn't view them.
When I arrived, Southworth’s front door was still busted in. I couldn't help but wonder if his house, and those visiting, were under surveillance.
I made an editorial call not to publish our interview. Southworth hadn’t been indicted, I only had his word on how events had unfolded – and what had caused them.
With the news this week of his arrest – and further details about the allegations against Southworth – our conversation now has more context.
I have never sat on the couch of someone who would go on to be arrested and indicted for allegedly threatening to kill the president of the United States. I was – and still am – curious about his mindset and how he arrived at this point.
And so here is our interview. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and focus.
