Suburban Chicago man charged with posting online threat to President Trump: officials

Chicago area man threatened to kill President Trump on Instagram, prosecutors say

A suburban Chicago man is in federal custody after authorities said he posted an online threat to President Donald Trump.

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - A far north suburban man is in federal custody in Chicago after authorities said he posted an online death threat to President Donald Trump.

Federal agents and a SWAT team searched the home of Trent Schneider, 57, of Winthrop Harbor, on Monday morning and took him into custody, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Federal charge:

Pictured is Trent Schneider, 57. (FOX 32 )

Prosecutors, on Monday afternoon, announced Schneider has been charged with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person. Federal officials said he made several social media posts threatening President Trump in recent weeks—both in the form of images and at least one video. 

Following his arrest, Schneider appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse and was ordered to remain in federal custody until his detention hearing later this week. 

What we know:

Unsealed court documents reveal that Schneider shared the same cartoon image of Trump roughly 20 times on Instagram between Sept. 26 and Oct. 21, 2025. 

The following message is on the image: "THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 Donald Trump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!! SHE CARES NOTHING ABOUT YOU or ME!!!"

Court records confirm Schneider's house, which is located about one mile from the Wisconsin border, is in foreclosure.

A pending court case with Rocket Mortgage is active and FOX 32 confirmed that an auction date of Nov. 4 is listed online.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Schneider also posted a video to Instagram on Oct. 16, in which 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."

A concerned citizen in Florida reportedly saw Schneider's post and alerted law enforcement.

Schneider's mugshot shown in this article is from 2022, when he was arrested and charged in Lake County with aggravated battery and assault of a peace officer.

Schneider's arrest :

The U.S. Secret Service requested help from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team to execute a search warrant at Schneider’s home in the 2800 block of 15th Street. Federal agents also obtained an arrest warrant.

Authorities said the SWAT team executed both warrants and took Schneider into custody without incident.

What they're saying:

"Protecting the President of the United States is the Secret Service’s top priority. We fully investigate any and all threats to his safety – no matter the platform – because we take them extremely seriously. This case should serve as a reminder that actions have consequences," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said. "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," said Secret Service Director Sean Curran.

What's next:

The U.S. Secret Service is leading the investigation. 

Schneider is due back in court for a detention hearing on Thursday.