The U.S. Secret Service said it is aware of a video posted by Iran that threatens the life of Barron Trump, the youngest son of President Donald Trump. In a statement, Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring said: "The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence."
The almost three-minute video, broadcast over the weekend in Iran by IRIB, a state media organization believed to be aligned with Iranian hardliners, begins with an English-language graphic that reads "Where to kill Barron Trump?" and shows locations where the 20-year-old might be, such as Trump Tower. At the end, it suggests a $10 million reward. The head of IRIB is appointed by the ayatollah.
Video content and circulation
According to the Jerusalem Post, the video was linked on X/Twitter by Niyak Ghorbani, a London-based journalist described as anti-regime. It showed various locations Barron had been at in the past, including Trump Tower and his school campus. At these locations, the video highlighted elements of Barron's security detail, including claiming that Secret Service agents disguised themselves as students in his school to blend into his surroundings. It also claimed to have found Barron's online Xbox, Discord, and FIFA video game accounts, as well as those of his classmates, with two named as Liam Carter and Bo Louden. While Liam Carter appeared to be a fake profile, Louden, a conservative media influencer, is a known friend of Barron's.
The video concluded with the message: "Millions of FIFA players against Trump are waiting to receive a ten-million-dollar prize from us." The Jerusalem Post could not locate the original video on Channel 3's platforms. The video was styled similarly to a previous video threatening First Lady Melania Trump last month, which called on "freedom fighters" to target shops she frequents. That video claimed to share "information from several anonymous security networks" and ended with "This is just the beginning! Barron Trump, wait for us!"
Background of threats
Iran has threatened Trump and his family since his first term in office, especially after he ordered the airstrike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Trump has publicly discussed threats on his life from Iran. In July, he said: "I'm on whatever list ... so far, I guess I've been a bit lucky, but maybe that doesn't last very long. These are evil, sick people." He made those remarks at a NATO summit in Turkey before leaving the country on an alternate plane after hiding on a catering truck.