(WASHINGTON) — A suburban Chicago man was federally charged for allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump on social media, according to court records unsealed on Monday.
Trent Schneider, 57, of Winthrop Harbor, was charged via criminal complaint with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
Following his arrest Monday morning, a federal judge in Chicago ordered that he remain detained in federal custody, prosecutors said. Schneider is next scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on Thursday.
According to the complaint, in a “selfie-style video” posted to Instagram on Oct. 16, Schneider allegedly said, “I’m going to get some guns. I know where I can get a lot of f—— guns and I am going to take care of business myself.”
“I’m tired of all you f—— frauds. People need to f—— die and people are going to die. F— all of you, especially you, Trump. You should be executed,” he allegedly said in the video, according to the complaint.
The video also allegedly included a caption that stated, in part, “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!”
Schneider allegedly posted the same video and caption approximately 18 times between Oct. 16 and Oct. 21, according to the complaint.
A “concerned citizen” in Florida who viewed the video on Oct. 16 reported it to law enforcement, according to the complaint.
Schneider faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted, the DOJ said.
Attorney information was not immediately available.
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