A federal jury convicted Trent Schneider, 58, of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, on March 26 of making a true threat in interstate commerce to injure a person. The conviction followed a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
The case centers on an incident from October 21, 2025, when Schneider posted a video on Instagram stating that judges, doctors, lawyers, and police “all should be killed” and specifically threatened former President Donald J. Trump. The video included the caption: “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!! AFTER LOSING EVERYTHING and My House Auction date is 11.04.2025 @realDonaldTrump SHOULD BE EXECUTED!!!” On the same day as the video post, Schneider also appeared at the Lake County courthouse where he told a judge he would burn down the courthouse.
The conviction was announced 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. Boutros said: “Let this conviction send a clear message that it is never acceptable to threaten a political figure or a member of the judiciary… Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will find, arrest and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those responsible for criminally threatening the safety of our elected officials and judges.”
Tran said: “Threats of political violence are not a joke… They are a Federal crime. The U.S. Secret Service vigorously pursues all threats to harm the President of the United States… I am proud of our agents’ work in this case and thank our partners at the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Winthrop Harbor Police Department for their assistance in bringing this defendant to justice.”
The investigation involved cooperation from multiple agencies including local sheriff’s offices and police departments along with prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna Helwig and Paige Nutini.
This case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address threats against public officials as serious crimes subject to prosecution.
