Arvid Lindblad said he “showed people a bit of what I am here to do” after finishing eighth on his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix.
The 18-year-old Racing Bulls driver, who become the youngest Briton to race in F1 on Sunday, qualified in ninth and briefly rose to third place on the first lap after a dramatic start to the season opener in Melbourne.
Lindblad’s top-10 finish means he enters the record books as the third youngest F1 points scorer at 18 years and seven months – behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
“When I was five years old, I had a dream and my dream was to be in Formula 1 and I am living my dream today,” he told Sky Sports.
Russell’s pole position – 0.8 seconds clear of the fastest non-Mercedes car – had sent shockwaves through the paddock on Saturday but the race was initially much closer than qualifying.
Both Ferrari drivers made their expected electric starts, and Leclerc vaulted from fourth on the grid to take the lead at the first corner.
Russell powered past the Ferrari on lap two between Turns 10 and 11 by using extra electrical energy.
But Leclerc was not to go down without a fight and drove past the Mercedes in a similar fashion on the run to Turn Nine on lap three.
Russell tracked Leclerc closely. He challenged for the lead into Turn One on lap nine only for the Ferrari driver to fend him off and leave Russell to fight to retain his position from Hamilton, who by now had joined the leading train of cars.
Antonelli, who had dropped to seventh at the start before fighting back past Norris, Lindblad and Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull, then joined them to make it four cars in the leading group after 10 laps, and they circulated together until Hadjar retired on lap 12.
The Frenchman, who had been running fifth, pulled off on the back straight, bringing out the virtual safety car, usually the trigger for teams to pit and benefit from the reduced time loss compared with pitting under racing conditions.
But while Russell and Antonelli pitted, Leclerc and Hamilton did not. Hamilton immediately questioned the call, saying over the radio: “At least one of us should have pitted.”
Instead, they ran long, sticking to their pre-race plan of a one-stop strategy.
By the time Leclerc pitted on lap 25, Russell was only five seconds behind him, and the Ferrari emerged 14 seconds adrift of the lead.
On fresher tyres, Leclerc might have been expected to narrow the gap to Russell, but he did not, and the fight at the front was over.
Team-mate Lance Stroll could not run at all on Saturday at Albert Park because of engine problems and will start last.
Alonso said: “The mechanics, they’ve been working flat out and changing power-units day and night, you know, the last six weeks. So, even on the other side of the garage, with Lance being so unlucky in FP3 and ‘quali’ with zero laps, when you go on track and you are in the mix with a few cars, it’s a little bit better than being dead last, as we were yesterday.
“Maybe that’s enough to ignite a little bit of motivation in everyone in the garage. That’s probably part of our job now as drivers, you know, to keep the morale of the team high in difficult moments.”
The team are still facing a difficult situation and may not finish Sunday’s race.
They have only two batteries left for their hybrid system, and none available at the Honda factory, so will have to run a cautious race to ensure they are even able to take part in the second grand prix of the season, in China next weekend.
“We are short on parts, there is no secrets on that,” Alonso said.
“China is next week, so hopefully we can do as many laps as possible, hopefully we can do nearly the whole race.
“But the first sign that there is something potentially wrong, we cannot risk running, running, running until we make some big damage and then we compromise next week, so we will have to be very flexible.
“We are one team, we cannot separate the two things. There is no secret that the main problem is the PU. We are down power and reliability. We didn’t manage many laps in the winter and now we are short on stock for the batteries, we cannot do many laps or we are short on parts. We need to fix the power-units and Aston Martin is trying to help as much as possible with Honda.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton struck the first blow of the new Formula 1 era with first and second fastest times in opening practice at the Australian Grand Prix.
Leclerc replaced Hamilton in top spot with a late lap that moved him 0.469 seconds clear of the seven-time champion.
Until then, less than 0.1secs had separated Hamilton, Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Verstappen’s new team-mate Isack Hadjar was fourth fastest, 0.820secs off the pace, ahead of 18-year-old Briton Arvid Lindblad, making his debut for the Racing Bulls team.
Aston Martin, whose dire form has been in many ways the story of the new season so far, had a predictably difficult session.
Fernando Alonso was not able to run at all because of a problem with his Honda power-unit. Team-mate Lance Stroll managed just three laps before an engine problem was also discovered on his car.
Team principal Adrian Newey had stunned F1 on Thursday when he said that the vibrations from the Honda engine were so bad that Alonso felt unable to do more than 25 laps without risking permanent nerve damage in his hands.
But this appears to have been a different reliability issue for an engine that is well below the required standard in F1 following the introduction of new rules this season.
Before the first race of the season in Australia the weekend, Hamilton said he has “rediscovered” himself after a difficult first season at Ferrari last year.
Amid a series of poor performances in 2025, Hamilton made a series of negative comments about his own performances, including that he was “useless” and was “not looking forward” .
He said he spent the winter cultivating a “positive mental attitude”.
“The break was really positive,” he said. “It was my surroundings. It was the people that I was with. It’s not my first rodeo. So it’s understanding how to flip things. And it’s not that easy to do each time.
“But I always talk about cultivating a positive mental attitude. And that’s what I focus on the winter doing.
“A lot of it came from training. Training hard on Christmas Day. Also knowing that I find it hard.
“I believe in myself that I’ve put more work in than anyone around me. And I believe in myself. Rediscovering myself was really a big part of it as well.
“As I said in one of my [Instagram] posts, I kind of lost sight for a second of who I was. And that person’s gone. You won’t see that person again.”
Hamilton said he felt more settled with Ferrari after a season’s experience of the “very different culture” at the team from what he knew at Mercedes and McLaren.
“It’s massively different to the first year,” he said. “And it’s a much nicer feeling coming, having spent a year with the team, understanding the culture, understanding ways, finding ways of working together.
“We’re in a good place now together as a team. And I feel very gelled with the team today. I’m much happier.”
Ferrari failed to win a race in 2025 but are optimistic they start this season in a more competitive position as F1 introduces its biggest regulation change in history.
Hamilton said: “We’re leaving behind the bad and taking the head, moving forward with the good. We’re sharp, prepared and we know what we need to do.
“But we also know there are massive challenges for all of us with the new rules and regulations.”
Team-mate Charles Leclerc said: I prefer to be in a position where we have to calm the expectations down rather than having to manage a lot of negativity around the team. That’s always a bit of a better situation to be in.
“But in both ways I don’t think that this is something that needs to change our own mood inside the team.”
D4vd is the “target” of a Los Angeles County criminal jury investigation into the death of a teenage girl. The singer’s star was on the rise, with a global tour in his future, before the discovery of the girl’s remains in the front trunk of his Tesla.
The singer, whose real name is David Burke, has been the subject of the probe since November, months after the dismembered body of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found in the car after it was towed off a street in Hollywood.
According to a grand jury subpoena seeking to have Burke’s father, mother and brother testify in L.A., the musician is described as “Target David Burke,” who may have committed a criminal offense in California, “to wit: One count of Murder.”
The document was part of a legal challenge to the subpoenas filed by the singer’s family in Texas. The newly unsealed documents reveal that, when Los Angeles police opened up the Tesla trunk, they found “a black cadaver bag covered with insects and a strong odor of decay” inside. Investigators had been granted a search warrant to look in the vehicle Sept. 8 after a tow yard worker noticed a rotting smell emanating from the vehicle.
According to the document, detectives partially unzipped the bag and found “a decomposed head and torso.”
Criminalists and medical examiners then processed the body.
“Upon removing the cadaver bag from the front storage compartment, it was discovered the arms and legs had been severed from the body,” the subpoenas noted. “A second black bag was discovered underneath the cadaver bag. Upon opening the second bag, the dismembered body parts were discovered.”
Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Beth Silverman issued the subpoenas on Jan. 15, with Superior Court judge Craig Richman approving them.
The First Court of Appeals in Texas on Feb. 9 denied petitions from the three Burke family members to ignore the subpoenas.
In November, prosecutors began presenting evidence to a grand jury, described at the time as an investigative grand jury, according to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case with the media.
Since then, numerous witnesses have been called in to testify, among those, one of the musician’s managers. A friend of D4vd, Neo Langston, was arrested in Montana after ignoring a subpoena and was recently forced to return to L.A. to testify.
In a Texas appeals court footnote, the court refers specifically to the singer’s true name. The court states that the “underlying case” is “The People of the State of California v. David Burke,” pending in the 506th District Court of Waller County, Texas, with Judge Gary W. Chaney presiding. There is no public case with that name, but grand jury proceedings are confidential.
The singer’s father, Dawud, mother, Colleen, and brother, Caleb, reside in Texas, according to court records. Lawyers for the trio could not be reached for comment.
Detectives have spent months investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death, as well as her relationship with D4vd.
His Tesla sat abandoned on a street in the Hollywood Hills for several weeks — potentially months — before its removal.
L.A. Police Capt. Scot Williams, who leads the Robbery-Homicide Division, said the girl had been “dead for at least several weeks.” Williams said the body had not been decapitated or frozen, as some news outlets have reported.
Detectives determined that the Tesla had been parked on Bluebird Avenue since late July — around the time D4vd began a national tour. The tour was canceled soon after the death investigation drew worldwide media attention.
“People saw it and didn’t think much of it — but now it all makes sense.”
A second source in the F1 world added: “Three days before the race, Kim was spotted coming out of a garage where Lewis’s car was.
“She headed to his trailer. That was one of the few times Kim was seen.
“Something was definitely happening between them then. Why else would she have been there?”
Kim and Lewis at the Super Bowl togetherCredit: X
Why, indeed?
I revealed Kim and Lewis enjoyed a night at posh Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds on January 31, before heading to London for a second date and Paris for a third.
Lewis thenflew back to Los Angeleswith Kim on her £100million private jet, and days later they made their first public appearance together at the Super Bowl on February 8.
Since then, the A-list couple have been apart, with him flying to Bahrain, where he spent time last week doing pre-season testing in his Ferrari F1 car.
Lewis said he had a new-found vigour ahead of the season, adding: “I’m reset and refreshed.”
I’m sure that Kim has helped boost his drive . . .
ESTEEM DREAM
SELF ESTEEM will be in Manchester this Saturday for the Brit Awards – and she may have a very special man by her side.
I’ve learned the singer-songwriter, who is nominated for Artist of the Year at the ceremony, is dating actor Wilf Scolding.
Self Esteem is dating actor Wilf Scolding.Credit: Getty
And I’m told they have been seeing each other since 2023, when they were cast in West End show Cabaret together.
The singer, whose real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor, hinted they are an item when Wilf appeared in the video for her song The Curse in August.
A source said: “Rebecca and Wilf have been together for a while – they live together and even have a dog.
“But they aren’t showy with their personal lives so haven’t flaunted the relationship in the public eye.
“She’s had bad dating experiences in the past but Wilf is a good guy. He has the seal of approval from her mates.”
Wilf, who starred in Game Of Thrones and BBC One drama The Passing Bells, is a sea-change from the singer’s last boyfriend, who she has never publicly named but said was “a real nasty bastard”.
Self Esteem referenced her “current male lover” in an interview back in November.
When asked how often she has sex, she said: “Oh, often. That is one thing I don’t compromise on.”
Good on them both.
JUSTIN TIME FOR UK GIGS
JUSTIN BIEBER is set to embark on his biggest tour in more than a decade.
I’m told the Baby hitmaker will announce a string of global dates after playing two headline slots at US festival Coachella in April, as well as plans for a new pop album.
Justin Bieber is set to embark on his biggest tour in more than a decadeCredit: AP
A source said: “This year is set to be a huge one for Justin.
“He kicked things off with his Grammy performance earlier this month and bosses hope his Coachella sets will remind the world why he became one of the most successful singers on the planet.”
As part of his upcoming world tour, Justin is expected to announce a show at BST Hyde Park in London.
He previously played BST in 2017 – but hasn’t done a full concert on UK soil since then.
ANTI’S EURO VISION
LOVE Island fans might spot a familiar face at the Eurovision Song Contest in the spring.
While the UK will be represented by YouTuber Look Mum No Computer, Cyprus’s act is Antigoni, who starred in the ITV2 series in 2022.
Cyprus’s Eurovision act Antigoni starred in Love Island in 2022Credit: Mikaela Smila
She wore this striking red dress in the video for her entry song, Jalla – and eagle-eyed viewers might recognise someone else in the promo.
Antigoni, who was born and raised in London but is of Greek-Cypriot descent, managed to get Stavros Flatley star Demetri Demetriou to make a cameo.
Currently, Antigoni is tenth favourite to win, while Look Mum No Computer is 14th.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for them both.
KEEP an eye out for LA-based singer Amelia Moore, who has just completed a UK tour supporting Ashnikko.
She has been getting rave reviews off the back of her latest EP He’s Still Just Not That Into You! and I’m expecting big things in the coming months.
FOO FIGHT FOR GIGS
FOO FIGHTERS have announced a set of surprise shows this week – leading to thousands of fans queuing in the streets for a ticket
Tonight they will play The Academy in Dublin, before a show on Wednesday at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and the O2 Ritz in Manchester on Friday.
Foo Fighters have announced a set of surprise shows this weekCredit: Getty
Tickets were released yesterday but fans had to queue at the venues’ box offices in a bid to stop online touts ripping people off.
The gigs come ahead of the release of their 12th album Your Favourite Toy on April 24.
I’ll be in Manchester to see the band – I can’t wait.
THE SEX PISTOLS BACK ON ROAD
THE SEX PISTOLS ft. Frank Carter have announced a brand new tour celebrating 50 years of punk.
Anarchy In The UK will see them play five shows at the end of the year, kicking off in Ireland at Dublin’s 3 Arena on December 7.
The Sex Pistols ft. Frank Carter have announced a brand new tour celebrating 50 years of punkCredit: PA
They will then play Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange on December 9, before hitting Glasgow’s O2 Academy the following evening.
Frank and Co will then head to London to play the Brixton Academy on December 18 and the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith two days later.
MARGOT IS SHEER DELIGHT
MARGOT ROBBIE skipped the Baftas and headed Down Under for Tropfest 2026 in Sydney.
The film festival, which celebrates the best short films and new rising stars of the industry, enlisted Margot as the president of this year’s jury.
Margot Robbie at Tropfest 2026 in SydneyCredit: Getty
Next year, I know Margot will be front and centre at the Baftas in London – with her new film Wuthering Heights expected to pick up a raft of nods, including Best Actress for her star turn.
Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel has caused a storm among cinema lovers, with Margot’s co-star Jacob Elordi expected to be shortlisted for Best Actor.
DESIGNED by one of the UK’s most famous civil engineer, Hilton London Paddington is both well connected and grand.
Here’s everything you need to know.
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Hilton London Paddington dates back more than 170 yearsThe bar and restaurant was recently updatedCredit: Paul Rogers
Where is the Hilton London Paddington?
I can see why they call it London’s best connected hotel, being adjoining to London Paddington Station.
Along with trains to destinations such as Plymouth and Oxford, from here there are five London Underground routes, as well as a fast 15-minute train to London Heathrow.
What is the hotel like?
The grand hotel dates back to 1854, originally called the Great Western Royal Hotel by HRH Prince Albert.
It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an English civil engineer behind Great Western Railway, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and London Paddington Station, as well as the hotel.
WASHINGTON — A grand jury in Washington refused Tuesday to indict Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders,” according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Justice Department opened an investigation into the video featuring Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and four other Democratic lawmakers urging U.S. service members to follow established military protocols and reject orders they believe to be unlawful. All the lawmakers previously served in the military or at intelligence agencies.
Grand jurors in Washington declined to sign off on charges in the latest of a series of rebukes of prosecutors by citizens in the nation’s capital, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter. It wasn’t immediately clear whether prosecutors had sought indictments against all six lawmakers or what charge or charges prosecutors attempted to bring.
Grand jury rejections are extraordinarily unusual, but have happened repeatedly in recent months in Washington as citizens who have heard the government’s evidence have come away underwhelmed in a number of cases. Prosecutors could try again to secure an indictment.
Spokespeople for the U.S. attorney’s office and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
The FBI in November began contacting the lawmakers to schedule interviews, outreach that came against the backdrop of broader Justice Department efforts to punish political opponents of the president. President Trump and his aides labeled the lawmakers’ video as “seditious” — and Trump said on his social media account that the offense was “punishable by death.”
Besides Slotkin and Kelly, the other Democrats who appeared in the video include Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire and Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who represents Michigan, said late Tuesday that she hopes this ends the Justice Department’s probe.
“Tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law,” Slotkin said in a statement. “But today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country,” she said.
Kelly, a former Navy pilot who represents Arizona, called the attempt to bring charges an “outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackies.”
“Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him,” Kelly said in a post on X. “The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.”
In November, the Pentagon opened an investigation into Kelly, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly for participating in the video and is trying to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain.
The senator is suing Hegseth to block those proceedings, calling them an unconstitutional act of retribution. During a hearing last week, the judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Kelly’s Jan. 5 censure by Hegseth.
Feb. 10 (UPI) — A grand jury rejected the Justice Department’s effort to indict congressional Democrats for their recent online video telling military members they don’t have to obey illegal orders.
The grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday evening declined to indict the lawmakers, all of whom either are veterans or served in the national intelligence community, The New York Times reported.
The lawmakers are Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, along with Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chrissy Houlahan and Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, organized the video, which did not cite any specific orders or provide context. The video was published online after the Trump administration began carrying out deadly aerial strikes on alleged drug-running vessels in the Caribbean Sea in September.
It’s unclear if all or only some of the lawmakers were subject to the grand jury proceedings, according to NBC News.
The news outlet said the effort by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro is an example of the Justice Department targeting the president’s political enemies.
Slotkin described the grand jury that declined to indict her and her Democratic colleagues as “anonymous American citizens who upheld the rule of law.”
“Today wasn’t just an embarrassing day for the Administration. It was another sad day for our country,” she said in a social media statement Tuesday night.
“Because whether or not Pirro succeeded is not the point. It’s that President [Donald] Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies. It’s the kind of thing you see in a foreign country, not the United States we know and love.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the effort to indict them was “a despicable, vindictive abuse of power” targeting lawmakers and veterans “because the administration didn’t like the content of their speech.”
In the video published online in mid-November, the six lawmakers all said military members can refuse to carry out illegal orders, and some said that “threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but right here at home.”
Trump called the video “seditious behavior” and suggested George Washington would have had all six hanged for treason.
The six lawmakers later said the FBI had contacted the respective House and Senate sergeants-at-arms to arrange interviews as part of a criminal investigation.
The four House members issued a joint statement in which they accused Trump of using the FBI to “intimidate and harass members of Congress.”
They said that “no amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.”
FOR striped houses that look like giant beach huts and beautiful stretches of coastline – head to Aveiro.
The city in Portugal sits on the west coast and is much less known than its neighbour and is considered to be the country’s ‘Venice‘.
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One beautiful village in Aveiro, Costa Nova, is famous for its bright buildingsCredit: AlamyIn Costa Nova is Farol da Barra, the tallest lighthouse in PortugalCredit: Alamy
Along with its waterways, Aveiro is known for its beautiful waterfront houses, bars and boat tours along the waterways.
The city is built around water including the Ria de Aveiro which is a shallow coastal lagoon – and throughout Aveiro are lots of canals.
The largest is Canal Central de Aveiro, right in the city centre and it’s here where tourists can hop onto a boat and take a river cruise.
Dotted along the water are the brightly coloured Moliceiro boats which were historically used to collect seaweed.
Now, these are used for leisure tours which you can book from €13 (£11.22).
These start on the Central Canal of Ria de Aveiro before working their way through the waterworks to Canal de São Roque in the north of the city.
On the banks of the canal are lots of bars, restaurants and cafes.
Some of the most popular include Boteco Aveiro, Taberna do Canal, andLuxor Lounge.
A popular drinking spot is Neighbourhood Alavarium Bar which has deckchairs in the courtyard.
A local pint will set you back just €2.75 (£2.38).
Just a short trip from Aveiro is the Bairrada Region Proximity, which produces plenty of sparkling and red wine, so the city is also perfect for wine lovers.
It is an excellent hub for exploring vineyards on reasonably priced tours, and bars and restaurants in the city centre offer glasses from as little as €2.30 (£2).
Aveiro is known for a local delicacy called ‘ovos moles’ – these traditional Portuguese pastries are essentially a sweet, creamy egg yolk and sugar mixture inside a thin wafer shell.
You can pick these up in local cafes or bakeries for around €1.60 (£1.38) each – and if you treat yourself to a coffee, it will cost as little as €2.16 (£1.87).
One of these spots along Central Canal is Café a Barrica.
One visitor even wrote on Tripadvisor: “This is the very place to try the typical local sweet, Ovos Moles. It is a small place, but I recommend a visitor to try.”
A holidaymaker who treated their fiancee to a romantic holiday to the city, told The Guardian: I told my fiancée we were going somewhere where we would drink wine on a gondola so she was a bit surprised when we got on a plane to Portugal and not Italy.
“I had to explain that I meant the Venice south of Porto – the pretty canal town of Aveiro (half the cost of the real Venice and just as nice).
“I risked being dubbed a cheapskate but we both loved it – a great romantic choice for a Valentine break on a budget.”
Ovos moles are a local delicacy – a thin wafer shell filled with creamy egg yolk and sugarCredit: AlamyOn the journey from Porto – make sure to stop by the former train stationCredit: Alamy
Around 10-minutes outside of the city centre is the coastal village of Costa Nova.
The picture-perfect spot has been described by visitors as having “the most adorable houses”.
The waterfront buildings are famous for their brightly coloured stripes.
These were originally called ‘palheiros’ and were used by fishermen and were brightly coloured so that they could see them through the mist.
Its beach, called Praia da Costa Nova, is also considered one of the prettiest in the area, although it does have strong waves thanks to its location on the Atlantic.
It runs for just under one mile and is the perfect sunbathing spot thanks to its fine, white sand.
Costa Nova is also home to Farol da Barra which is the tallest lighthouse in Portugal.
Visitors can climb up the 288 steps for incredible views across the coast.
Aveiro doesn’t have an international airport – the nearest is Porto which is just a 34-minute train ride away.
One-way tickets start from £6 and in February, flights to Porto from Birmingham start from £13 with Ryanair.
And once you get to the station, make sure to check out the former station building.
It’s one of the prettiest in Aveiro covered in beautiful blue and white tiles.
Feb. 7 (UPI) — A federal grand jury indicted Shannon Mathre, 33, for threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance and receiving and distributing child pornography.
Mathre, 33, is a resident of Toledo, Ohio, and allegedly told others in an online post that he is going to learn where Vance is going to be and use an M14 service rifle to kill the vice president. Vance visited northwestern Ohio in January.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
Secret Service agents arrested Mathre on Friday after the U.S. District Court of Northern Ohio grand jury indicted him earlier in the week.
While participating in Mathre’s arrest, federal investigators discovered child sex-abuse materials in his possession.
A grand jury indictment says he received and distributed child sex abuse materials from Dec. 31 to Jan. 21 and had several such digital files.
He was arraigned on Friday and has a detention hearing scheduled on Wednesday.
If Mathre is found guilty of the charges against him, a federal judge could sentence him to up to five years in prison and fined up to $250,000 for threatening the vice president’s life.
He also could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and fined up to $250,000 for possessing child sex-abuse materials.
Mathre’s arrest comes during the same week that a Maryland resident Colin Demarco, 26, was charged with attempted murder for allegedly traveling to the northern Virginia home of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought on Jan. 22.
Prosecutors say he was wearing a mask and carrying a firearm without a permit to do so when he was stopped outside of Vought’s home.
Demarco allegedly called the Nov. 5, 2024, election night the “worst of his life.”
