An Omaha, Nebraska, woman says she received an unexpected visit from the U.S. Secret Service after posting a message on X about White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Jamie Bonkiewicz shared a video of the encounter, writing on X on Friday: “The Secret Service came to my door today because of a tweet. No threats. No violence. Just words. That’s where we are now.” She posted the clip as a sub-post to her earlier comment about the visit.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed to Newsweek on Saturday that “it was a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service as well as a local police partner featured in that video during a protective intelligence interview.”
Why It Matters
How law enforcement responds to online posts remains a heated issue, especially when comments are interpreted as threatening even if the author insists they were not meant as such. Critics argue that aggressive responses to speech risk sliding into “thought policing,” pointing to situations abroad where individuals have faced arrest over online remarks.
The broader political environment in the U.S. has also been tense, with heightened debate around protests and enforcement actions tied to deportation operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That tension intensified after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, whom Minnesota officials said was serving as a legal observer during ICE operations, while Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem described Good as a domestic terrorist.
What To Know
Bonkiewicz, a mother of two from Old Market, Omaha, posted on X on Thursday: “When Karoline Leavitt gets what she deserves, I hope it’s televised.”
The next day, she said, a Secret Service agent and a local police officer arrived at her home. Bonkiewicz posted both a photo of the visit and a two-minute video of the conversation.
In the clip, the agent cautions her about how statements can be interpreted. “You don’t want to perceive any ill-will towards these people,” he says. Bonkiewicz responds that she wants to see Leavitt “trialed,” later clarifying that she believes Trump administration officials should eventually face proceedings similar to the Nuremburg Trials once they leave office.
The agent asks whether she attends demonstrations. When Bonkiewicz asks why he is asking, he replies: “I’m just curious.”
Bonkiewicz says she does not want to answer questions along those lines. The agent then asks whether there are weapons in the home and whether she has traveled to “any functions—Democrats, Republicans…any kind of rallies or anything like that?”
When asked if she wants to add any statement, Bonkiewicz declines. Her husband then asks what the agent considers “crossing the line on social media” to the point where it would trigger a visit.
The agent explains that “technically, obviously, you have freedom of speech,” but says the agency views explicit, direct threats differently—offering examples like “I will go kill the president.” He adds that such statements can meet a threshold that could involve U.S. prosecutors.
“Something like this, veiled threat—is it threatening in nature? Now that I know you didn’t mean anything by it, it’s basically a non-issue, right?” the agent says, adding that he will write up his report and that this is “the end of it.”
Bonkiewicz then raises concerns about her own safety, saying she has received threats online. The agent suggests she report those issues by “writing to your local police.”
Bonkiewicz has been active online in Nebraska politics, including encouraging residents to “call or email your senators” in opposition to Legislative Bill 3, which sought to change how the state selects presidential electors. She also shares videos of protests against the administration and has posted multiple critical messages about Leavitt, including accusing her of being “a paid agitator” and asking when Leavitt “plans to quit her job and stay home to raise her kids, since Republicans insist that’s what motherhood requires.”
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Secret Service said in an email statement to Newsweek on Saturday: “While I cannot speak to the specific nature of the investigation, for us it’s not about sides, it’s about service. Any statement or action, explicit or implied, that can be perceived as a potential threat is thoroughly investigated by our teams. This is necessary to ensure the highest level of safety and protection for the President, Vice and former presidents, their families and government officials.”
