High‑Profile Hit List: Al‑Qaeda Leader Places Trump, Musk, VP Vance In Crosshairs

A senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki, has issued a chilling call for the assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, and other high-profile American figures.

The threats were made in a video posted Tuesday on (formerly Twitter).

The footage, shared by Simon Ateba, Chief White House Correspondent and founder of The Daily Letter, shows al-Awlaki inciting acts of violence against prominent American political and business leaders, citing the United States’ unwavering support for Israel as justification.

In the video, the AQAP figurehead urges Muslims in the U.S.—regardless of their background—to exact revenge for alleged crimes against Palestinians and Islam.

“We call on all Muslims in America… revenge, revenge,” he declares. “Do not consult anyone about killing infidel Americans… Target the scum of the earth and its greatest criminals. That is Trump… JD Vance… Elon Musk. Go after their families or anyone connected to the White House politicians.”

Al-Awlaki, already on the U.S. State Department’s wanted list with a $6 million bounty on his head, is known for masterminding multiple terror plots and inciting global violence.

This latest threat surfaces amid intensifying geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising fears of domestic radicalization. Al-Awlaki’s message referenced recent antisemitic attacks and praised failed assassination attempts against Trump in 2024—one during a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania and another in September near his Florida home.

These developments echo concerns voiced by Trump and his allies, who have long warned of heightened terror threats. In response, Trump had implemented a controversial travel ban on citizens from 12 predominantly Muslim countries during his presidency.