COLUMBIA, S.C. — An Irmo man indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of threatening the life of President Donald Trump was denied bond Friday after a hearing in which a prosecutor told the magistrate judge that the man posed a danger to the community.

Travis Keith Lang, approximately 47, pleaded not guilty in his first appearance in court at the federal courthouse in Columbia. He was quietly indicted earlier this week and arrested Thursday. His case was unsealed and made public Friday.

He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Lang, who was dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and wearing handcuffs and ankle chains, will have a bond hearing March 14 when he and his attorney can try to persuade a federal magistrate judge that he should be released while awaiting trial.

Lang filed to run for president as a Republican in 2024, according to Federal Election Commission records. However, he was not a serious candidate in terms of money raised or name recognition. He was not, for example, on the ballot of his home state of South Carolina in the February 2024 Republican primary won by Trump.

Lang also posts in social media on X, formerly Twitter, and on Grok. A November 2023 post on X, apparently referring to his political campaign, said, “Thank you all so much for your support! 15k and still rolling!!!!”

In a post on Grok, Lang described himself as “a self-proclaimed whistleblower who uncovered nuclear violations worth billions, believes corruption plagues all parties and vows to declassify everything as President to serve America above self.”

During Friday’s hearing, assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews told Magistrate Judge Paige Jones Gossett that Lang had made “multiple threats both to the previous president, President (Joe) Biden, and to the current President Trump.”

Secret Service agents had visited with Lang and warned him about the continuing threats he was making but Lang did not stop, Matthews told the magistrate judge.

“This is obviously not a charge that we see every day,” the magistrate judge said.

The one-paragraph indictment unsealed Friday said, “On or about Feb. 17, 2025, in the District of South Carolina, the defendant, Travis Keith Lang, did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, to kidnap, and to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, specifically, that the defendant ... would kill Donald Trump.”

Details of the evidence, such as how he made the threats, against Lang were not made public. After the hearing, Matthews declined comment but indicated more facts in the case would likely be made public at next week’s bond hearing for Lang.

In any event, “making a threat against the president is a crime of violence,” Matthews said.

Gossett ruled Lang was eligible for a court-appointed attorney. Lang was represented Friday by public defender Katherine Evatt. In the future he will be represented by public defender Jeremy Thompson.

Lang, who is bald, slightly less than medium height and has a gray beard, told Gossett he had money in his campaign account but he was unable to get to it at present.

“I would like to use those funds,” Lang said, speaking in a calm, clear voice.

Friday’s hearing was attended by two Secret Service agents. They did not comment. Secret Service is charged with protecting the lives of the president, vice president and their families. They conduct investigations of people and the locations that a president or vice president will visit.

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