John Washington III: The Answer Is Not to Threaten the Government, It Is to Make the Government Answer to the People

John Washington III, a candidate for president in 2028, responded Saturday to the charge against a Michigan man accused of threatening to kill FBI Director Kash Patel by drawing a line he said should not be blurred. "AMERICA, WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND IT GOES MUCH DEEPER THAN ONE MAN THREATENING AN FBI DIRECTOR!" John Washington III wrote. He said Americans have the right to challenge their government and criticize officials, but added, "THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STANDING UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS AND THREATENING SOMEONE'S LIFE!"

"I do not support threats, violence, or intimidation against anyone," John Washington III wrote, "whether they're an ordinary citizen, a police officer, an FBI director, or the president of the United States." He paired that with a condition aimed at the institutions themselves: "BUT I ALSO DO NOT SUPPORT A GOVERNMENT THAT EXPECTS RESPECT WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY!" Nobody, he wrote, should be above the law, "and that includes the people enforcing it."

John Washington III argued the deeper question is why trust has eroded. "When citizens become frustrated with their government, we should be asking WHY," he wrote. "Why are so many Americans losing trust in the very institutions that were created to serve and protect them?" His answer returned to the order of the relationship: "Our government is supposed to work FOR THE PEOPLE, not the other way around."

He closed with the remedy he is running on: protect freedom of speech, uphold due process, demand transparency and hold public officials accountable without resorting to violence. "THE ANSWER IS NOT TO THREATEN THE GOVERNMENT. THE ANSWER IS TO MAKE THE GOVERNMENT ANSWER TO THE PEOPLE!" John Washington III wrote. "The American people deserve a government they can trust, not one they fear or feel powerless against."