A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has for the third time in recent weeks declined to bring charges in a case pursued by the US Attorney’s Office, this time involving a woman accused of threatening President Donald Trump. The panel rejected an indictment against Nathalie Rose Jones, 49, of New York, who had been arrested after allegedly calling Trump a “terrorist” and a “nazi” in online posts and during a Secret Service interview.
According to court documents, Jones told agents she would kill the president to “avenge” pandemic deaths but clarified she had no present intention to harm him. Friends cited her history of mental health issues. Prosecutors, led by US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, sought charges of making threats against the president and transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
The grand jury's decision marks the third time a D.C. panel has refused to indict in similar cases. Earlier this month, jurors declined to bring felony charges against a man who threw a sandwich at a border patrol agent, and in August they refused to charge a man who resisted arrest. The trend comes amid heightened tensions following President Trump’s declaration of a “crime emergency” and the deployment of federal law enforcement in the capital.
Attorney General Pam Bondi had warned that anyone touching a law enforcement officer would be prosecuted, but Pirro’s office has struggled to secure indictments. Prosecutors may seek a new indictment or downgrade charges to a misdemeanour. The White House said threats to the president should be taken seriously, particularly after the two assassination attempts against Mr Trump.
