Lake County Man Posted Death Threat Against Trump: Feds

WINTHROP HARBOR, IL — Alleged online death threats against President Donald Trump posted to Instagram brought the Secret Service to one Lake County man's door Monday morning, federal authorities said.

Trent Schneider, 57 of Winthrop Harbor, was arrested and charged with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person, and is accused of posting a graphic, alongside a video, several times to his Instagram account.

In the video, first posted on Oct. 16, Schneider films himself saying:

“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.”

In the caption, Schneider wrote, “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!”

According to a criminal complaint that was unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a concerned citizen in Florida saw the video and reported it to law enforcement.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Patch that the Secret Service fully investigates any and all threats to the President's safety, no matter the platform.

Curran said this case should be a reminder that actions, even online, have consequences.

“I am proud of our agents’ swift and decisive actions in this case. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, for their invaluable help in carrying out our protective mission,” Curran said.

After his arrest, Schneider appeared in court Monday afternoon in Chicago and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Nov. 6. If convicted, Schneider faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.