UPenn Climate Scientist Calls for ‘Second Amendment’ to Be Used Against Trump.
Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, sparked controversy on May 23, 2025, by posting on the Bluesky social media platform: “If Trump doesn’t comply, we’re in second amendment territory.” The statement was made in response to a report on a federal judge’s ruling that blocked President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, appearing to suggest people take up arms to overthrow or assassinate the America First leader.
The May 22 injunction froze the administration’s plan to eliminate the department, which included terminating around 1,300 employees. Mann’s post—interpreted by many as a call for violence—drew immediate backlash across social media platforms.
The post was spotlighted by Libs of TikTok, which tagged the FBI and University of Pennsylvania, writing: “Hi “FBI, this climate scientist and professor at @Penn appears to be calling to kill Trump and Trump officials.”
The controversy comes on the heels of two assassination attempts on President Trump in 2024. The first occurred on July 13 during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump, grazing his ear and killing a supporter. The second attempt took place in September at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, with pro-Ukraine activist Ryan Routh caught lying in wait with a firearm and seriously injuring a child during his attempted getaway.
In response to the second incident, Trump said, “The suspected gunman believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it. Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.”
Mann’s invocation of the Second Amendment in the context of killing or overthrowing Trump echoes a recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, who was accused of inciting violence by posting “8647” on Instagram. “86” is hospitality and mob parlance for removing or murdering someone, while “47” refers to Trump as the 47th President.
