Typically, after a high-profile shooting or assassination, copycats will try to get their 15 minutes of fame by emulating the act, and that's what nearly happened in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination.
According to the Daily Mail, conservative influencer Benny Johnson was a target of a man who wanted to make headlines with another assassination of a high-profile conservative activist.
The bombshell revelation was announced by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi this week during what was described as a "fiery" press conference.
The Department of Justice announced charges against George Isbell Jr., which was a continued effort by the Trump administration to crack down on political violence.
The charges against Isbell are serious, as he reportedly sent a letter to Johnson and his wife threatening to "orphan" their children while also strangling Johnson with an American flag.
BREAKING: An internet TOUGH GUY has just discovered that his THREATS against Benny Johnson are CRIMINAL.
“You are NOT going to get away with threatening people."
FAFO to the keyboard warriors! pic.twitter.com/rGHS72L3cX
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 10, 2025
Aside from the late, great Charlie Kirk, few conservative influencers come close or beat Johnson's level of popularity in MAGA circles.
The Daily Mail noted:
Johnson commands a following of over four million on X and is one of the most outspoken conservative commentators on social media known for rubbing shoulders with Donald Trump and other influential MAGA stars.
Bondi held nothing back in her press conference, saying, "This arrest will serve as a reminder, we will find you."
She said the plot to assassinate Johnson was part of an Antifa plan to "wreak havoc on the streets of our cities," while linking the threat to the murder of Kirk last month.
Users across social media reacted to the news of the plot to kill Johnson, and many were thankful that the whackjob leftist was taken off the streets and charged.
"Any and all threats should be treated as criminal," one X user wrote.
Others warned that while threats should be taken seriously, the First Amendment seems to be in rocky territory as far as online speech is concerned.
Another X user wrotem, "I haven't seen the message, so if it contained a direct threat, action was warranted. However, I'm concerned that in this heightened environment, we may fall into the trap of censoring speech. Pam wanted to censor speech before, might use this as an opportunity."
