WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Las Vegas man faces a federal criminal charge after threatening to kill Jewish U.S. senator Jacky Rosen -- including vowing to "finish what Hitler started" -- that left the Democratic lawmaker feeling under attack amid rising antisemitic incidents worldwide.
"I'm feeling the same as Jews are feeling all around the world -- under attack and under threat," Rosen told reporters on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed the charge against the man from her home state of Nevada.
John Miller, 43, left a series of messages with the office of a U.S. senator of Nevada between Oct. 11 and Oct. 19 in the days following Hamas' attack on Israel, and threatened to assault, kidnap or murder the senator, according to the criminal complaint made public on Monday.
Rosen's office on Tuesday confirmed she was the target.
The senator told reporters she had full confidence in federal authorities handling the case, but also cited threats facing the nation's Jewish youth: "Students across the country -- K though 12, on college campuses -- look at the protests around the world. Jews are feeling under attack."
The threats against the lawmaker come amid a rise in antisemitism in the United States and worldwide since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
Miller was charged with one count of threatening a federal official, the Justice Department said.
A public defender representing Miller, who faces a Nov. 13 court hearing following his arrest last week, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In his messages to Rosen, the Nevada man cited Israel's actions in its war with the militant group and threatened to "exterminate" the lawmaker, calling her "subhuman," the criminal complaint said. Miller was also turned away Oct. 18 from a courthouse in Las Vegas where he said he was going to see Rosen, becoming agitated and threatening to kill Israelis, it added.