A 22-year-old New Hampshire man has been arrested after allegedly plotting to assassinate Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte with homemade pipe bombs, which authorities described as weapons of mass destruction.
Prosecutors say Tristan Anderson came to investigators’ attention after boasting to a roommate on Snapchat about his bomb-making skills and displaying materials for the devices.
According to an arrest warrant, Anderson had ranted about an “Israel Deep State” controlling state and federal governments and posted racially charged remarks targeting Jewish Americans. Prosecutors said his online messages also directed anger at Ayotte, who is Catholic.
Anderson also threatened to “kill” members of the New Hampshire GOP committee, accusing them of claiming to “speak for the rest of NH residents.”
Prosecutors say he shared videos promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories and wrote that he was “convinced my generation is full of w****s.”
According to police, a roommate reported that Anderson had firearms and bomb-making materials, including fireworks, metal tubes, and bags of nuts and bolts he said he intended to turn into pipe bombs.
Anderson has been held without bail at Merrimack County Jail since August. He faces charges of criminal threatening and threatening a government official, according to the Daily Mail.
Anderson’s arrest came just weeks before the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event, a killing that has left lawmakers and political figures on heightened alert. Some have since canceled outdoor appearances or moved them indoors for security reasons.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte was inaugurated in 2025. She previously represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2011 to 2017.
