A man from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill former President Donald J. Trump. According to federal authorities, Trent Schneider, 57, was charged with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person.
Schneider appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert in Chicago following his arrest and is being held in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for November 6, 2025.
The criminal complaint states that on October 16, 2025, Schneider posted a video of himself on Instagram where he said: “I’m going to get some guns. I know where I can get a lot of [expletive] guns and I am going to take care of business myself. I’m tired of all you [expletive] frauds. People need to [expletive] die and people are going to die. [Expletive] all of you, especially you Trump. You should be executed.” The video included a caption stating: “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!”
Authorities say the video was reported by a concerned citizen in Florida who saw the post and contacted law enforcement.
The announcement was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. They acknowledged support from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department.
Federal officials emphasized that the charges are not evidence of guilt and that Schneider is presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison under federal statutes.
