Secret Service opens inquiry into California man who called for murder of Donald Trump

The U.S. Secret Service said Friday it is reviewing a video in which a California man openly called for the murder of President Donald Trump, a matter the agency described as a protective-intelligence investigation. The agency declined to provide further details about the case or potential actions.

The clip, posted on X by Shane Ginsberg, who runs The Street Poller, shows an unidentified man speaking to Ginsberg on a California beach. In the video, the man says, "F*** Donald Trump, he's racist and he's a pedophile," adding that Trump would remain in power for the next three years. The man continues: "We already killed his friend, and the next one is Donald Trump. You'll be next to for doing that weird a** s***." The two appear to exchange words as the man walks away, is asked to return, and then approaches again, while directing hostility at Ginsberg. He also says: "You want to get your a** kicked? I have a gun license to protect myself, I'll beat your a** up bad." The Street Poller posted the clip to X, and the man eventually walks off along a promenade.

The Secret Service said it takes all threats related to protectees seriously and that, as a matter of practice, it does not comment on matters involving protective intelligence. No further details about potential charges or actions against the man were provided.

In an update, Ginsberg said the unidentified man later claimed to others that he had been wrongly accused of using racist language toward him, and attempted to drum up a crowd. He said he was shocked by the incident and expressed frustration that something like this could happen in the country he calls home. He also indicated the man claimed he would seek security and suggested that the risk of violence was tied to political tensions around Charlie Kirk's death.

The disturbance comes amid heightened concern over political violence in the United States in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death earlier this month in Utah. Kirk, a conservative debater and campus activist, was fatally shot in an incident that prosecutors allege was carried out by Tyler Robinson, 22, who appeared in court earlier this month charged with murder. The case has spurred debate about safety for public figures and political dialogue.

Earlier this week, a gunman opened fire at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas, killing a migrant and wounding two others before killing himself. Authorities identified the shooter as Joshua Jahn, 29, and recovered rounds at the scene, including some with anti-ICE inscriptions.

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating the left-wing movement Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, describing it as a militarist, anarchist enterprise that seeks to overthrow the United States government. The order followed Trump’s remarks during a state visit to the United Kingdom last week, during which he teased the designation and said he would be "strongly recommending" that its funders be investigated. Trump labeled Antifa a "SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER."