Threats to Kill

⏱ 2 min read

Trent Schneider, a 58-year-old suburban Chicago man, was convicted of making a true threat to kill multiple public officials, including President Donald J. Trump. Schneider, of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, made the threats on October 21, 2025, in a video posted on Instagram and in a statement to a judge at the Lake County courthouse. The threats were made in response to Schneider’s pending foreclosure case, which was set to be auctioned off on November 4, 2025.

Schneider’s video post 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!!!” He also told the judge that he would burn the courthouse down. The jury returned its verdict after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The case was investigated by the US Secret Service, with valuable assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department.

The government is represented by Assistant US Attorneys Hanna Helwig and Paige Nutini. 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 US Secret Service Chicago Field Office.