Maryland Man Attempted To Murder A Top Trump Budget Official, Prosecutors Say

A Maryland man is facing attempted murder charges after authorities say he attempted to kill Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought at his home in Northern Virginia.

Arlington County Police arrested Colin Demarco, 26, on January 22. Demarco said that he feared a “fascist takeover” of the country under the Trump administration and that he was writing a manifesto and instructions on topics such as “Body Disposal Guide,” according to court documents reviewed by CBS News.

Charging documents say that Demarco planned to kill someone with the initials “R.V.” who “has served as a presidential appointee.” A source familiar with the case later confirmed to CBS News that Vought was the intended target.

“We are grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe,” the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.

Demarco visited Vought’s home last year. He was caught on the director’s Ring doorbell camera on August 10, according to NBC News.

Demarco has been charged with attempted murder, carrying a firearm without a permit, and unlawfully wearing a mask.

The alleged attack on Vought comes amid a series of high-profile politically motivated attacks in recent years. On January 27, a man rushed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar as she was speaking at a town hall and sprayed her with apple cider vinegar. Prosecutors later charged Anthony Kazmierczak with a single count alleging he “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and interfered” with the congresswoman.

In September, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a college campus event in Utah. Some of the bullet casings from the murder weapon were inscribed with politically-tinged messages, such as “Hey Fascist! Catch” and lyrics from the Italian anti-fascist anthem “Bella Ciao.”

President Donald Trump narrowly survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign. During an attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, a bullet grazed the president’s ear. The shots meant for Trump killed one person in the audience, former fire chief Corey Comperatore.

Vought is the architect of key parts of Trump’s deregulatory and cost-cutting agenda. One of his key successes was designing Schedule F, a new classification that eases the process of reducing the size of the federal workforce.

The OMB director has been the target of numerous death threats and now has a security detail from the U.S. Marshals Service, according to CBS.