Tewksbury Teen Accused of Threatening to Kill President Trump Appears in Federal Court

Trenton Touch appears in federal court

“It’s time; i’m gonna kill trump,” a series of Instagram messages read, according to charging documents released by federal prosecutors.

Trenton Touch, an 18-year-old from Tewksbury, made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Monday. The teenager faces charges for threatening to kill President Trump, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the Boston Globe reported.

Touch will remain in custody while awaiting a detention hearing scheduled for Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m., according to the Boston Herald. This federal proceeding follows an arrest on Oct. 29, though Boston 25 News noted he was initially taken into custody on Oct. 26 on firearm-related charges.

The legal scrutiny began after Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, flagged content from accounts tied to Touch in September. FBI Special Agent Alistair Brockmeyer filed a criminal complaint detailing how investigators identified the messages, which included a June 21 photo of a hand holding a firearm alongside the threats.

Evidence recovered from home searches

Law enforcement actions spanned two states as investigators sought to assess the potential for violence. On Oct. 26, authorities executed a search warrant at Touch’s home in Tewksbury, seizing a revolver-style gun, a hatchet, military-style knives, a ballistic helmet, and camouflage clothing, the Boston Globe reported.

“Trenton Touch is an individual whose alleged threats could not be ignored,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley of @DMAnews1 . “Threatening the President of the United States is a serious crime and is not protected free speech. My office will continue to work with our law… https://t.co/4RK62KSgKD”

— Post by @TheJusticeDept on X

A second search warrant was executed at the home of Touch’s grandparents in Atkinson, New Hampshire. In the basement room where the teenager stays, investigators allegedly found a rifle and a box of ammunition, according to a criminal complaint cited by the Boston Globe.

Prosecutors claim the rifle found in New Hampshire was the same weapon pictured in the June 21 Instagram direct messages. Beyond the weaponry, the Boston Herald reported that investigators found papers expressing white supremacist and Nazi ideology at the residence.

Tewksbury Teen Accused of Threatening to Kill President Trump Appears in Federal Court — Photo: boston25news.com

The investigation also uncovered a pattern of extremist rhetoric. Federal authorities allege Touch expressed a fascination with mass shooters, specifically referencing the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand. The complaint alleges Touch wrote that there “should be a Christchurch happening every single day of every single week,” adding that it “should be constant death and misery for them,” the Boston Globe reported.

Additional messages allegedly showed Touch endorsing the killing of public officials and “ethnics.” The Boston Herald reported that the criminal complaint includes statements such as, “Not ONE ethnic child is innocent,” and “I want to kill brown people.”

Federal prosecutors further allege that Touch identified with an accelerationist ideology, which seeks to trigger a race war through chaos and terrorism to establish a white ethno-state, the Boston Herald reported.

Defense argues online rhetoric is not reality

The prosecution maintains that the combination of violent digital rhetoric and the possession of tactical gear constitutes a direct threat to public safety. Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, stated that based on the evidence recovered—including the firearm and ballistic helmet—Touch allegedly had the means to carry out his threats, according to Boston 25 News.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley emphasized that such threats fall outside the bounds of constitutional protection. “Trenton Touch is an individual whose alleged threats could not be ignored,” Foley said in a statement, adding that threatening the president is a serious crime and not protected free speech, the Boston Globe reported.

Family of Trenton Touch leaves court after he was charged with making a threat against the President

Touch’s attorney, Liam Scully, offered a different perspective on the teenager’s behavior. Referring to his client as “TJ,” Scully noted that Touch is a recent high school graduate enrolled in community college with no prior arrest record or history of violence.

Scully questioned whether the digital messages reflect the actual person. “What happens online, from the perspective of the defense, is not really the real world,” Scully said in a phone interview on Monday, asking if the issue is the “real person” or merely “a bunch of online gobbledygook.”

The investigation shows how social media platforms are increasingly used in modern law enforcement. Todd McGhee, a retired Massachusetts State Police Trooper, told Boston 25 News that the FBI possesses the resources to track the origins of online accounts to ensure individuals are not conspiring to commit acts of violence.