Ryan Fournier, co-founder of Students for Trump, was arrested Tuesday in Washington DC and charged with simple assault and threats to do bodily harm in connection with a domestic violence incident at a luxury apartment complex.
According to arrest documents filed by the Metropolitan Police Department, the alleged assault occurred Monday night. A woman who said she had been dating Fournier for two months reported finding him on the floor appearing intoxicated. When she attempted to wake him, she told authorities he swung his fists at her face, striking her two or three times with a closed fist. She also stated he threatened to kill everyone present.
A witness identified as Fournier's roommate provided a more detailed account in a police affidavit. He reported hearing Fournier scream "Don't touch me, woman!" and "Do you want me to crush your head in with this lamp?" as the woman tried to rouse him. The witness said he later saw Fournier waving a handheld vacuum while yelling at the woman.
When the witness attempted to separate the two, he heard Fournier yell "Do you want to die today?" The woman then ran to the bathroom, and the witness observed she appeared to have been punched. He called 911, and Fournier left the apartment before police arrived. The woman told the witness not to let Fournier stab her.
During Tuesday's arraignment, Fournier entered a not guilty plea to the misdemeanor charges. A judge issued a pretrial no-contact order, and a status hearing was scheduled for July 7.
This is not Fournier's first brush with domestic violence allegations. In November 2023, he was arrested in North Carolina on similar charges after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend with a handgun. Those charges, including domestic assault and assault with a deadly weapon, were dismissed weeks later.
Fournier, 30, describes himself as a commentator and podcast host according to his website. He gained attention in 2019 when Students for Trump's web domain and social media accounts were acquired by Turning Point USA. More recently, he falsely accused a Wisconsin school principal of celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk, prompting a wave of death threats against her. Fournier later retracted the claim on social media, acknowledging the need for accuracy.
Author James Rodriguez: "A pattern of domestic violence accusations and a false claim that sparked harassment raises serious questions about who's steering influential youth political movements."
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