A former U.S. Marine and write-in congressional candidate in Florida is facing widespread condemnation after posting a video calling for the assassination of President Donald Trump while claiming the president is the “anti-Christ” and a “false messiah.”
According to a report by The Gateway Pundit, William Upham, a medically discharged former Marine first lieutenant, posted a six-minute video in which he declared that President Trump “must be killed.” Upham also claimed Trump is “the enemy of God,” said “America is Babylon,” and asserted that “the Book of Revelation is occurring right now.”
The remarks drew an immediate response from military leadership, which distanced itself from the former officer’s statements.
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Marine Corps denounces the remarks
The U.S. Marine Corps said it was aware of Upham’s comments and emphasized that they do not reflect the values of the service.
“The Marine Corps is aware of the disturbing statements made by William Upham, who was medically discharged on May 30, 2025,” the Corps said. “The comments made by Upham are a direct violation of the oath he swore to uphold and are not in keeping with the service’s values.”
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao also condemned the remarks, writing, “Unacceptable. William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos.”
Unacceptable. William Upham is no longer a Marine and does not represent our values or ethos. https://t.co/VdCQTGCpa4
— Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao (@SECNAV) July 15, 2026
Scripture gives a different picture
Upham tied his claims in part to President Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV. It is important, however, to distinguish criticism of a pope from opposition to God.
Scripture does not teach that questioning or criticizing a pope is equivalent to opposing God. Throughout history, popes have been fallible men, and some have been marked by corruption, moral failure or teachings that have been challenged by other Christians. Our ultimate authority is God’s Word, not any human office.
The incident also highlights the danger of removing biblical prophecy from its context and replacing it with personal speculation.
Scripture does not encourage us to assign the title of Antichrist to political figures based on current events or personal opinion. Paul teaches in 2 Thessalonians 2 that the man of sin will be revealed according to God’s prophetic timetable after the events God has ordained. Revelation further describes his rise to global authority, his deception of the nations, his alliance with the False Prophet and Christ’s ultimate victory over him.
Those prophetic details provide the biblical standard by which we measure every claim.
Throughout history, countless political leaders, emperors and public figures have been labeled the Antichrist. Those claims have consistently failed because they were based on speculation rather than the full counsel of Scripture. Upham’s assertion that President Trump is the Antichrist stands in direct conflict with the biblical sequence of end-times events and demonstrates the danger of presenting personal theories as biblical fact.
A call to biblical discernment
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to rightly divide God’s Word and test every teaching against Scripture. Satan has sought to twist God’s Word from the very beginning, and he continues to sow confusion by taking biblical truth out of context and replacing it with speculation presented as certainty.
Bible prophecy was given to prepare and encourage us as we await Christ’s return, not to invite sensational conclusions that contradict what God has already revealed. When we remain grounded in the whole counsel of God’s Word, we can recognize deception, avoid the pitfalls the enemy places before us and stand firmly on the truth God has given us.
Here is the full transcript of Upham’s video provided by The Gateway Pundit:
For God and Country. This is the motto of my campaign.
I decided to run for office to fix our broken political system, to restore bipartisanship, return power to the working class, and to end our system of Washington insiders, extremism, and excuses from our current members of Congress.
I’ve reached a turning point in my campaign. Why? I’ve come to the realization that our country is broken. We are led by a president who is the enemy of God, and President Trump will never bring us together like God intended.
Democrats are wrong because they’re wrong on the common-sense issues: enforcement of our criminal laws, border security, national security, and social issues that are 80/20. Republicans are wrong because they never address the racism and discrimination that have persisted in our country for generations.
Is our country salvageable? Maybe it is. Our Founding Fathers intended us to be the freest country on this planet, and that’s what we became. But in doing so, we became the most selfish. We turned away from God. We turned away from love and kindness, and we turned away from putting others first.
I served in the United States Marine Corps. I swore an oath when I commissioned:
I, William Upham, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. So help me God.
I joined the United States Marine Corps to defend our country against all enemies, including the enemies here at home.
This principle of defending others, especially the innocent and the vulnerable, is seen in the Bible in many passages. In Esther 8:11, the Prime Minister of Persia authorized the right for Jews to defend themselves, as well as women and children, from armed attackers. In Nehemiah 4:13, builders armed themselves and were stationed for self-defense purposes, with Nehemiah stating, “Fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters.”
This biblical principle can be summarized as follows: God values life, and although self-defense is not explicitly endorsed, it is implied through these passages and should be used to protect the innocent and the vulnerable. Violence should never be used for evil purposes, such as vengeance or plunder.
This is a message to all of God’s children in our country: We must defend ourselves against all enemies. We are at war with evil. This is a war between God and the Antichrist.
There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is the Antichrist. He is a false messiah, and he is your enemy, and he must be killed.
Why do I believe this?
President Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in the likeness of Jesus Christ. He has also criticized the Pope. He is nothing like Jesus Christ.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12, the Apostle Paul describes the man of lawlessness, otherwise known as the Antichrist, as someone who opposes God, exalts himself, and claims to be God. In Revelation 13:1–8, John describes the Antichrist as a ruler backed by Satan who demands to be worshiped, blasphemes God, and wages war on the saints. All of these descriptions of the Antichrist describe President Trump.
If you disagree with me, you must ask yourself: Is your perspective clouded by MAGA ideology? Are you worshiping a false idol? Is President Trump anything like Jesus Christ?
The Book of Revelation is occurring right now. America is Babylon. God and His angels have condemned our country because we are drowning in sin.
Who are we now?
We are selfish, worshiping ourselves and false idols, not showing love or kindness to our fellow Americans, and treating life without love and dignity.
Instead of remembering our Founding Fathers’ intention of a nation under God, we have lost sight of God and treated Him like He was an accessory. We’ve become too proud to be Americans and not proud enough to be God’s children.
I ask this question to all of you: Is it too late for us to turn from our sins? Is it too late for America?
My answer is no. It’s not too late.
The Lamb will be sacrificed to pay for all of our sins, and our country will be saved from the Babylon that we have become.
President Trump is the Antichrist, and he will be killed and sent to hell. God will prevail against evil.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
