Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify the attribution of a gubernatorial candidate’s response and to include the New Hampshire Libertarian Party’s statement.
The New Hampshire Libertarian Party’s official X account posted a statement endorsing the assassination of essentially every elected Democrat in the state, then removed it, WHDH 7News reported. The post prompted condemnation from Democrats and Republicans. Cinde Warmington, the Democratic nominee for governor, condemned the threats as abhorrent and said they endangered public servants across the state, WCAX reported.
In response to WCAX’s request for an interview, the New Hampshire Libertarian Party issued a statement: “LPNH believes that New Hampshire is healthier and freer when anyone who would enact an income tax fears for their life.”
Officials condemn the post; its legal status is unresolved
Gov. Kelly Ayotte called the statement dangerous and irresponsible and urged an investigation and prosecution, WHDH reported. Lawmakers also denounced it, while Maggie Goodlander said it was incompatible with liberty and harmful to American political life, the station reported. Those public calls for action do not establish that an investigation has begun or that a crime occurred.
The available reporting leaves open whether the post could meet a criminal standard for inciting violence. Its removal and officials’ condemnations, by themselves, do not answer that legal question; WHDH reported no confirmed charges.
Federal threat figures offer context, not a verdict
Threats and concerning statements directed at public officials are also tracked at the federal level, though those figures cover a different group. The U.S. Capitol Police reported that its Threat Assessment Section investigated 9,474 cases involving concerning statements and direct threats against members of Congress, their families and staff in 2024. That total is not a count of threats against New Hampshire state officials, and it does not establish a trend or determine whether the deleted post was criminal.
