Who is the man accused of making threats against the President at an Apex car wash?
The Secret Service issued a warrant Thursday for the arrest of a South Carolina man accused of making threats against President Donald Trump at an Apex car wash.
The Apex Police Department responded to Tidal Wave Auto Spa off Lake Pine Drive in Apex at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday after a resident called about a suspicious vehicle, Apex police said Thursday on Facebook. The threats drew the FBI, Secret Service and N.C. State Bureau of Investigation to the scene.
Police charged Daniel Rodney Swain, 41, of Summerville, S.C., on Wednesday with possession of methamphetamine, resisting a public officer and displaying a fictitious license plate. Preliminary information suggested Swain was traveling from South Carolina toward Washington.
The Secret Service moved to charge Swain with communicating threats against the President on Thursday, federal court records show.
‘HEADED TO WSH TO KILL THE PRES’
An attendant at Tidal Wave Auto Spa called 911 Wednesday afternoon to report a threat written on the outside of a black BMV X5, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Secret Service.
Apex police called the Secret Service at 1:43 p.m. to report the threat, according to the complaint, and went to the scene where they found messages written on all the BMW’s windows, including “HEADED TO WSH TO KILL THE PRES.”
Messages on the rear windshield read “TELL DONALD HE IS FIRED,” “5 DEAD 5 YEARS,” “3 NAVY TEACHER & TRUCKER,” according to the complaint. Apex police allegedly found Swain with a white marker matching the color of the messages. Video surveillance also showed Swain writing a message on the passenger window after washing his car.
An FBI and Secret Service agent interviewed Swain on Wednesday, according to the complaint. He told agents he went up to Washington the past winter to “take action” and “wussed out of doing what he was going to do.” Swain later said by “take action,” he meant he was going to legally protest and he “wussed out” of handing out packets about his ordeal.
Swain allegedly admitted writing the threats and said he should not have done it, according to the complaint. He told investigators he wrote the threats on his vehicle because of what he felt were the wrongful deaths of his father, uncle and grandfather — all military veterans who died under suspicious health-related circumstances. He said he had a duty as a man to protect himself and his family.
The Secret Service previously interviewed Swain on Jan. 1, 2025, for a Facebook post in which he wrote that if the president’s father was shot, it would gather more attention, according the complaint. The complaint also lists a post from April 19, 2026, where, in reference to Trump, Swain wrote that “somebody oughta go put a round in his [expletive] head,” adding that they should do the same to Trump’s son, wife and the rest of Congress.
Swain had a drone in his BMW, the complaint states. Swain told agents he used it to take pictures of buildings because he liked architecture. Swain said his plan was to find job opportunities in Research Triangle Park, take pictures of tech company buildings with his drone and drive to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in California. Swain said he might have gone to Washington to protest.
The threats against Trump prompted the FBI, Secret Service and N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to arrive on the scene. Apex police said.
What Swain said in court
A Wake County District Court judge set bail at $10,000 for Swain during his first appearance Thursday. Regardless of whether he posts bail, Swain will be taken into federal custody to face charges for threats against the president.
When asked if he would like to be heard on the matter of bail, Swain, appearing virtually, said he is an unemployed, third-generation, “100% disabled” Army veteran.
“This is a little ridiculous, but that’s about all,” Swain said.
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 7:15 PM.
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