The Tennessee Department of Homeland Security issued an alert to police agencies in Tennessee and surrounding states on March 1 about a man allegedly making threats against supporters of former U.S. president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The bulletin, confirmed by the agency to The Epoch Times, detailed allegations against Benjamin Matthew Dayton, including statements he supposedly made about harming political supporters to his mother, which were allegedly submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation through a “Guardian Incident Report.”
Alongside the alleged messages he sent to his mother, social media activity shared by Crowder and reviewed by The Epoch Times included a post with references to an “improvised munitions handbook” and messages decrying “fascism” while also supporting peace for Palestinians.
Mr. Dayton, a 29-year-old from Illinois, found himself at the center of this saga while off-grid in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas.
In an exclusive interview from his van on an Arkansas roadway, Mr. Dayton told The Epoch Times there were other details of the story that resulted in him being let go and deemed a non-threat.
The FBI and Department were sparse on details when pressed by The Epoch Times, but the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security said in an email that “law enforcement agencies in Arkansas made contact with Mr. Dayton, and the bulletin was allowed to expire.”
A public information officer with the Memphis, Tennessee, field office of the FBI said in a phone interview that they do not release details in these instances but noted it is regular practice to share information with law enforcement agencies and with the public if there is deemed to be a threat.
“I can tell you that it’s routine for the FBI to share information with our partners,” the spokesman said. “And sometimes, they incorporate it into their own documents or informational pieces for their officers or their agents in the field.”
He added that, “If there is anything that we have that is of concern that we would want the public to know, either a threat or anything, we'd go directly to the public.”
Political Stunt
Mr. Dayton introduced himself as the individual behind “Ben Dayton Music” and its related media, operating out of a 1995 Chevrolet G20 van.He emphasized his “dedication to promoting peace for Palestine” and radical peace content on social media, framing his social media activity as strategic and purposeful. Despite his apparent disdain for social media, he views it as a tool for activism.
‘An Armed Federal Military Convoy’ Approaches
Mr. Dayton spoke of his travels, his use of social media for political advocacy—specifically regarding peace for Palestine—and his ongoing music projects, selling music town to town and state to state. He was camping when he got a call from the Arkansas State Police “establishing they had found [him] basically.”“They got me out of the van and I’m still on the phone with the state trooper, who was really great and really cool, and I see down this dirt road this convoy and it was a military convoy. I mean—an armed federal military convoy. There were dudes in camo with rifles, and they were down the road scoping me out.”
Upon being approached by law enforcement and federal agents, he said he was put in an ambulance and questioned.
Mr. Dayton expressed that he had anticipated scrutiny over his political posts but was taken aback by the allegations of violent intentions. He emphasized his dedication to non-violence and expressed surprise at the escalation of the situation based on his political activities online.
He said he was interviewed by the FBI and Secret Service, who asked him a number of questions to deduce he was “not going to bomb anybody.”
How It Came About
While law enforcement did not share additional details including about the tip they allegedly received, Mr. Dayton said he had a theory on how the ordeal came about.“I think somebody called, I guess maybe it was my mom or whatever,” he said. “And like I said, she has a history of … it has taken me a long time to call it an illness, took me a long time to call it childhood domestic violence, and it’s still taking me some time.”
He added it’s also been hard for him “to learn who is safe to share grievances about the war [in Gaza] with and who is not,” adding “my mother is not one of them.”
He firmly said the information regarding him making a threat of bombing Trump supporters was “made up” and that he never mentioned the former president in his grievances with his mother. He said he had only expressed his grievances with “fascists” and expressed that his methods are not violent in nature.
This narrative invites ongoing reflection on the mechanisms of law enforcement in response to online behavior and the essential dialogue around protecting civil liberties in the age of digital communication.
The Epoch Times could not get in contact with Mr. Dayton’s mother and the FBI Field Office in Little Rock did not respond to a request for information before press time.
