Ryan Fournier, a prominent pro-Trump activist and co-founder of Students for Trump, is facing a seven-count indictment in Washington, D.C., following allegations of assault, threats, and witness tampering. Fournier, 30, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently being held without bond in advance of an October 8 trial before D.C. Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean.
"You’re going to die tonight." Ryan Fournier (alleged statement)
The legal proceedings stem from an alleged confrontation that occurred on the night of May 25 inside Fournier’s downtown Washington apartment. According to the government’s account, Fournier was reportedly unconscious on the floor after drinking when his girlfriend, with whom he had been in a relationship for approximately two months, attempted to wake him. Prosecutors allege that Fournier then responded by swinging at the woman, striking her arms, pulling her hair, and knocking her to the floor. The indictment further details claims that Fournier climbed on top of the woman, striking her face at least twice, before taking out a switchblade. Prosecutors acknowledge that Fournier did not raise the knife toward the woman but allege he possessed it while making a death threat.
Police were dispatched to the residence during the early hours of May 26. An arrest affidavit from that time alleges Fournier shouted, "I'll kill everyone here." Another witness reportedly described Fournier swinging a handheld vacuum and threatening to crush someone's head with a lamp. Fournier was initially arrested on misdemeanor counts of simple assault and attempted threats to do bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty and was subsequently released on his own recognizance, with a court order explicitly prohibiting him from contacting the alleged victim.
The case significantly expanded after Fournier's initial release. Prosecutors allege that he contacted the woman, in violation of the no-contact order, and later attempted to persuade other individuals to support a self-defense narrative portraying his girlfriend as the aggressor. A September 1 court filing details an alleged incident on June 8, where Fournier reportedly asked a female associate to contact police and falsely claim that his girlfriend had attacked him. When the woman allegedly refused, stating she was not present during the incident and would not provide false information, prosecutors claim Fournier threatened her. He allegedly asserted he could use political connections to facilitate her deportation or arrange for her to be killed if she spoke negatively about him. He also allegedly approached her with what she believed was an M-16 rifle, later determined by investigators to be a replica. The woman reportedly waited approximately 20 minutes before attempting to leave, fearing an attack. Prosecutors claim that when she tried to depart, Fournier grabbed her wrists, pushed her onto a bed, and pinned her down with his knee before she managed to escape.
Four days later, Secret Service agents arrested Fournier outside his building for allegedly violating the no-contact order by texting the woman central to the initial assault case. Contemporaneous reporting confirmed Fournier's detention was separate from an investigation into his roommate, Jordan Daley, who was reportedly under scrutiny for allegedly impersonating a Secret Service agent.
Fournier's legal challenges escalated further on July 1, when a grand jury returned a seven-count indictment. The charges include two felony counts of threatening to kidnap or injure a person, two felony obstruction-of-justice counts, one felony contempt charge, and two misdemeanor simple-assault counts, according to court records cited in the filing. A judge ordered Fournier held without bond the following day, citing the gravity of the new charges and alleged witness tampering.
The September 1 filing also includes allegations from a former girlfriend who dated Fournier for several years, with their relationship reportedly ending in 2025. Prosecutors state this woman provided investigators with a photograph purportedly showing Fournier pointing a firearm toward her in 2020. She further accused Fournier of striking her with glass objects during incidents in 2021 and approximately one year later, along with another alleged assault at a Florida hotel. These accusations have not resulted in convictions, and prosecutors are currently seeking permission from Judge McLean to introduce these allegations as evidence in the current Washington, D.C., case. Judge McLean has not yet ruled on this request.
Additionally, Fournier was previously arrested in North Carolina in November 2023 after a different girlfriend accused him of grabbing her arm and striking her forehead with a handgun. Axios reported at the time that he was charged with assault on a female and assault with a deadly weapon. Those charges were dismissed the following month, and Fournier was never convicted in that case.
Fournier co-founded Students for Trump in 2015 while attending Campbell University, helping to expand the organization into a network reportedly encompassing hundreds of college chapters. Turning Point USA later leased the organization’s web domains and social media accounts, and Fournier eventually separated from the organization in 2023. Despite being held in the D.C. jail for over two months, Fournier, who has roughly one million followers on X, has maintained a visible social media presence through his personal account. Prosecutors have reportedly given Fournier until September 11 to accept a plea agreement offered last month. If no agreement is reached, his trial remains scheduled for October 8.
