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By Steve Mollman
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The U.S. Secret Service told Newsweek it is aware of an Iran-linked video targeting First Lady Melania Trump and indicated that threats directed at people under its protection are reviewed by the agency.
"The Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees," Nate Herring, a lead public affairs specialist with the U.S. Secret Service's Communications and Media Relations office, told Newsweek on Monday.
"Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence," Herring added.
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The statement came after reports emerged of a video circulated through an Iranian state-linked media channel that targeted the first lady. The material is the latest example of rhetoric directed at President Donald Trump and his family amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Newsweek has also contacted the White House and the Office of the First Lady for comment. Newsweek is not reproducing the video and is not detailing its contents.
The Secret Service statement does not indicate that the agency has identified a specific threat. However, it confirms that the agency is aware of the material and reviews content it perceives as a potential threat to its protectees.
Melania Trump, as first lady, receives full-time Secret Service protection, as does her son Barron Trump.
Why It Matters
The emergence of a video targeting the first lady marks a notable expansion of public rhetoric that has largely centered on President Trump himself in recent months.
Iranian officials and state-affiliated actors have repeatedly issued hostile statements toward the president since the conflict, while Trump has publicly discussed what he says are continuing threats against him from Tehran.
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The Secret Service's decision to publicly acknowledge awareness of the video is likely to draw additional attention to the matter as lawmakers and administration officials weigh in. The public significance of the video lies less in the material itself than in the fact that it was reportedly disseminated through a state-linked Iranian outlet and has prompted a response from the federal agency charged with protecting the first family.
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Trump Has Repeatedly Mentioned Threats Against Himself
Earlier this month, Trump said he had left instructions for a forceful U.S. response if Iran were ever to succeed in assassinating him. "I've left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they've never seen before," he told the New York Post.
The comments came after Trump repeatedly described himself as a target of Iran. In remarks after a NATO summit in Turkey, he said he was "on every single one of their lists" and claimed Tehran wanted to "take out the U.S. leader—me."
Security concerns surrounding alleged Iranian threats have also affected presidential travel. The New York Times reported that Trump switched from a newer Air Force One aircraft—a Qatar-donated jet that had been used for presidential travel—to an older presidential plane while returning from the summit because of concerns linked to Iranian threats.
What Happens Next
Members of Congress, particularly Republicans who have taken a hard line on Iran, may also weigh in as details continue to emerge.
The White House and the Office of the First Lady had not responded to Newsweek's requests for comment at the time of publication.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas
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