❓WHAT HAPPENED: Trent Schneider, 57, was arrested and charged with threatening President Donald J. Trump after posting threatening content online.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Trent Schneider, President Trump, and law enforcement officials.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The threats were posted between October 16 and 21, 2025, and Schneider was arrested at his Illinois home following a tip from Florida.
💬KEY QUOTE: Schneider’s posts included the caption, “THIS IS NOT A THREAT!!!”
🎯IMPACT: Schneider is in federal custody awaiting a detention hearing after his arrest by a SWAT team.
Trent Schneider, a 57-year-old resident of Illinois, has been arrested and charged with making threats against President Donald J. Trump. Federal prosecutors say Schneider repeatedly posted violent messages and videos online, calling for Trump and others to be killed. According to court documents, between October 16 and October 21, 2025, Schneider shared a video on Instagram 18 times. He is also accused of posting an image showing a cartoon version of Trump crossed out with a red “X,” often tagging Trump Tower in Chicago, Illinois, in his posts.
The investigation began after a tip from a concerned citizen in Florida. A SWAT team later executed his arrest at his home in Illinois. Officials say Schneider has a prior history of making threats but had previously been found mentally unfit to stand trial. He is currently in federal custody awaiting a detention hearing, and prosecutors have not indicated whether additional charges may be filed.
The arrest comes amid an escalation of threats and violence targeting Trump, particularly during his 2024 presidential campaign. In July 2024, a gunman opened fire during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring the America First leader and two rallygoers, one of whom, Corey Comperatore, was killed. The incident led to the suspension of six Secret Service agents following an internal review of their response.
Two months later, pro-Ukraine activist Ryan Routh was arrested after attempting to assassinate Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course. Routh was found guilty of all charges in 2025.
Other threats have surfaced in less direct ways. In May 2025, University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann drew controversy after writing online, “If Trump doesn’t comply, we’re in second amendment territory,” a statement widely criticized as suggesting violence.
Around the same time, former Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said that a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official had warned him about “five assassination teams” allegedly operating within the United States, some with foreign ties.
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