James Gerald Eckert, Jr., 39, of Rochester, New York, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making threats to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon a member of the immediate family of the President, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo on July 13.
According to the criminal complaint, on June 18 a member of the U.S. Secret Service stationed at Donald Trump Jr.’s residence was alerted that several threats had been made against Trump Jr. The threats appeared in the group chat feed for Trump Jr.’s podcast “Triggered with Donald Trump Jr.” under the username JamesGeraldEckertJr/@JamesGeraldEckertJr. The messages included: “im going to kill you, (expletive), I am going to kill this (expletive) on the screen.”
While viewing and streaming himself on Rumble during the podcast broadcast, Eckert allegedly repeated similar threats both verbally and in live chat posts directed at Trump Jr. and also at Rumble’s CEO over approximately eight minutes. The statements included: “your (expletive) dead, its over guys,” and “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.”
Prior incidents described in the complaint include a June 7 Facebook post from Eckert’s account directed at Rochester Mayor Malik Evans stating: “Mayor Malik Evans, I am coming for your family. Seriously, you will lose them to me personally… This will not go away until you are dead or [REDACTED] is behind bars.” On June 11 another post threatened New York State Senator Samra Brook: “You are going to die.”
Eckert made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 20.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani following an investigation by the United States Secret Service under Special Agent-in-Charge Charles T. Perras and the Rochester Police Department led by Chief David Smith.
Authorities remind that charges are merely accusations; Eckert is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.