A 26-year-old Maryland man who told authorities he feared a "fascist takeover" under Donald Trump's presidency is now charged with attempted murder after allegedly targeting one of Trump's top allies at his home in Virginia. Court records say Colin Demarco was arrested Jan. 22 in Arlington County and is accused of plotting to kill a presidential appointee identified in documents only as "R.V." But sources tell CBS News the intended victim was Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, a controversial Heritage Foundation-backed roadmap for a Republican administration that would significantly expand presidential power.
Vought, who has become a lightning rod for his role in efforts to remake the civil service and for past statements about putting federal workers "in trauma," has been under US Marshals Service protection amid a spike in threats. According to the criminal complaint, Demarco appeared at Vought's Arlington home on Aug. 10 wearing a surgical mask, gloves, sunglasses, and a backpack. A Ring camera allegedly recorded him at the door and rummaging through the mailbox; a neighbor later told investigators Demarco seemed to have a firearm concealed under his shirt. When questioned at his Rockville, Md., residence, Demarco first claimed he was looking for a job but eventually said he went there to confront Vought about Project 2025, while denying he was armed or intended violence.
Investigators later obtained his iCloud data and say they found notes describing a "Dad's Gun Stash," a "Body Disposal Guide" advising the use of rubber gloves and airtight alibis, and references to a .357 Magnum revolver. The complaint also cites Discord messages in which Demarco allegedly fantasized about killing Trump—writing he wanted to "get a gun, head to DC and kill him"—and discussed Vought by name, saying he had found the official's address. He reportedly praised Luigi Mangione, charged with murdering former UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, and in 2024 was detained in Maryland under a mental-health emergency petition after telling an officer he wanted to die because Trump had been elected and saying he was writing a manifesto and would kill people once it was done. He also allegedly discussed soliciting someone else to kill Vought, the Hill reports.
No weapons were found in a partial search of his room. Demarco is currently facing state charges in Arlington rather than a federal case, for reasons that have not been publicly explained. He is being held without bond and has a hearing scheduled Feb. 23, NBC News reports.
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