Adam Benjamin Hall, a 23-year-old from Crane Hill, Alabama, was arrested and appeared in federal court on charges of traveling across state lines with the intent to kill then-President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The arrest took place in Atlanta after Hall allegedly drove from Alabama to Georgia on June 27, 2024, planning to enter the presidential debate hosted by CNN and carry out his plan.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated, “Threats against the President are gravely serious and must be treated as such. Hall’s alleged actions went beyond mere words and included traveling to Georgia with a firearm to murder President Biden. Political violence is never acceptable and must be countered by swift intervention and meaningful consequences.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Donovan of the U.S. Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office commented on the investigation: “Our highest priority is protecting the President of the United States, and every potential threat is treated with the utmost seriousness. Our agents, working in close coordination with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, worked tirelessly to advance this investigation. Hall’s arrest is representative of the effectiveness of our combined efforts to safeguard our nation’s leadership.”
Court documents indicate that authorities found a map on Hall’s phone showing he was three blocks from the debate site about half an hour before it began when adjusted for local time. Investigators also discovered a note described as an “exposé” or “manifesto,” addressed “[t]o all the Palestinian journalists . . . and in remembrance of the ones who lost their lives along the way.” The note included statements such as:
“Hopefully my actions snap you all awake long enough to thoroughly understand the point I will make in this exposé.”
“Our enemies are not in any other country but our own and Israel’s.”
“It’s time we overthrow these bastards and threaten to pull a f–king D-Day on Tel Aviv . . . .”
“On the week of July 4th, forget your f–king barbecues and pool parties. Instead do the patriotic thing by marching on Capitol Hill, the White House, and the Supreme Court armed with whatever you have . . . . Unless the feds shoot first, you must not engage. If they are unwilling to comply after a few hours, then I permit you to march into those buildings and do what is necessary to regain control of our country from the deep state.”
The manifesto ended with “Free Palestine” next to an emoji representing Palestine.
Hall was charged by criminal complaint on January 26, 2026, with interstate stalking before appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Staci G. Cornelius in federal court in Atlanta.
The case remains under investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce is prosecuting.
The public is reminded that criminal complaints contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt at trial.
The U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia serves as principal federal law enforcement agency for north Georgia—including Atlanta—and coordinates major cases involving national security threats like terrorism while collaborating closely with other agencies.
For more information contact USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.
