Who is James Gerald Eckert Jr? NY man busted for making chilling threats against Don Trump Jr, ‘I am going to kill you’

James Gerald Eckert Jr., 39, from Upstate New York, faces charges for allegedly threatening Donald Trump Jr. through social media messages.

Published on: Jul 14, 2026, 19:57:55 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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A man from Upstate New York has been arrested for reportedly threatening to kill Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the former president.

James Gerald Eckert Jr., 39, from Upstate New York, faces charges for allegedly threatening Donald Trump Jr. through social media messages. (via REUTERS)

James Gerald Eckert Jr., 39, residing in Rochester, NY, is accused of using his full name to post a series of alarming threats directed at President Trump’s first son in a group chat associated with Don Jr.’s podcast, according to federal prosecutors on Monday.

“Im going to kill you, (expletive), I am going to kill this (expletive) on the screen,” some messages on the feed for "Triggered with Donald Trump Jr." stated, NY Post reported, citing authorities.

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James Gerald Eckert Jr: US Secret Service identified threat against Trump Jr

A member of the US Secret Service, who was on duty at Don Jr.'s residence on June 18, identified the threats, as stated in the criminal complaint.

Additionally, Eckert is accused of making multiple threats towards Don Jr. in a disjointed eight-minute video posted on the video platform Rumble while he was viewing a stream of the first son's podcast.

“Your [sic] (expletive) dead, its over guys,” Eckert allegedly said, adding, “I’m going to go to YouTube and be calm and I’m still going to (expletive) kill Trump Junior. We’re going to get to World Peace. (Expletive) die guy. Try to get out of this surviving. (Expletive) you forever. (Expletive) you forever,” according to officials.

Previous accusations against James Gerald Eckert Jr

He allegedly threatened Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski and had earlier posted threats against Malik Evans, the Democratic Mayor of Rochester, on a Facebook account that also featured Eckert’s full name, as per the federal authorities.

On June 11, the same account published a menacing message directed at New York State Senator Samra Brook.

The comment on Brook's official Facebook page stated, "You are going to die."

Charges against James Gerald Eckert Jr

Eckert faced charges for making threats to kill, kidnap, or cause bodily harm to a member of the President's immediate family, a crime that could result in a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

He appeared for the first time on Monday before US Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held until a detention hearing scheduled for July 20.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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