Who Is Sai Varshith Kandula? U-Haul Driver Charged With Threatening Biden

Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, has been charged with multiple crimes including threatening to kill President Joe Biden after allegedly ramming a U-Haul truck into barriers outside the White House on Monday night.

At about 9:40 p.m. Monday, Kandula, of Chesterfield, Missouri, reportedly crashed intentionally into the bollards on the 1600 block of H Street northwest of Lafayette Park, according to United States Park Police and Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi—the latter of whom reported no injuries to any Secret Service or White House staff.

U.S. Park Police and U.S. Secret Service uniform division officers responded to the scene, captured in various images and videos circulating on social media.

The suspect was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president or family member, destruction of federal property, and trespassing.

David Morrison, a spokesperson for Marquette Senior High School—located in Chesterfield, Missouri, and part of the Rockwood School District in the greater St. Louis area—confirmed to Newsweek that Kandula graduated from the school in 2022.

According to a LinkedIn page that purportedly belongs to Kandula, which references the high school, his “career pursuit” is dedicated in the field of data analytics and has completed coursework and skills certifications.

“I currently do not have any job experience, since this is why I am actively searching for jobs in order for me to apply my skills when I do get a job in order to build experience in a company, although I learned, and taken multiple credential courses about programming, and coding languages for about 5 years which is the kind of experience I would say I have had besides a job experience,” the page states.

Sergeant Thomas Twiname of the U.S. Park Police confirmed to Newsweek via phone Tuesday afternoon that a Nazi flag was recovered, adding that nothing else can be added regarding the investigation and that it will likely be entering the judicial phase.

Kandula allegedly traveled from St. Louis to Dulles International Airport, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to ABC News, and then rented the truck prior to driving straight towards the White House. After hitting the barricades, Kandula reportedly exited the vehicle and began waving the flag that had a swastika on it.

There was initial speculation on social media that a Nazi flag was discovered by authorities during the apprehending of Kandula. Some, on platforms like Twitter, have referred to the flag’s presence as part of a “false flag” operation invoking white nationalism.

During a recent commencement address at Howard University, Biden referred to white supremacy as “the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland.”