Newsdeck

Newsdeck

Former Trump butler posts online about killing Obama

The US Secret Service said Thursday it is "aware" that Donald Trump's former butler had repeatedly posted messages on Facebook about killing President Barack Obama and will conduct an investigation.

The threatening posts by 84-year-old Anthony Senecal, who served as the presumptive Republican nominee’s butler for 17 years before becoming the “historian” at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, were made public by Mother Jones magazine.

In a message posted Wednesday, only visible to his friends, Senecal said of Obama: “this character who I refer to as zero (0) should have been taken out by our military and shot as an enemy agent in his first term.”

In April 2015, he posted that Obama “needs to be hung for treason,” and one month later, in an expletive-laden message, said he would “help rid this America of the scum infested in its government” even if it meant dragging Obama “from the white mosque and hanging his scrawny ass from the portico.”

Senecal confirmed to Mother Jones that he had written the Facebook messages.

The US Secret Service, which is responsible for the president’s protection, said it was “aware of this matter and will conduct the appropriate investigation.”

When asked, Trump’s campaign team said that Senecal had not worked at Mar-a-Lago in years.

According to Senecal, he is not paid to be the historian at Mar-a-Lago, where he has lived since the 1950s and served in the role since 2009. But he makes money giving tours of the estate, he told Mother Jones.

jca-bd/bfm/sg

© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse

Gallery

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Premier Debate: Gauten Edition Banner

Join the Gauteng Premier Debate.

On 9 May 2024, The Forum in Bryanston will transform into a battleground for visions, solutions and, dare we say, some spicy debates as we launch the inaugural Daily Maverick Debates series.

We’re talking about the top premier candidates from Gauteng debating as they battle it out for your attention and, ultimately, your vote.

Daily Maverick Elections Toolbox

Feeling powerless in politics?

Equip yourself with the tools you need for an informed decision this election. Get the Elections Toolbox with shareable party manifesto guide.