Winthrop Harbor man charged with threatening to kill President Donald Trump: officials

WINTHROP HARBOR, Ill. (WLS) -- A north suburban man was arrested on Monday for allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump, officials said.

Trent Schneider, a 57-year-old Winthrop Harbor man, has been placed in federal detention, after being taken into custody on Monday morning following a joint operation with the U.S. Secret Service and a SWAT team in Lake County.

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Chopper 7 was over the scene earlier Monday as Schneider was taken into custody without incident. Federal agents were on the scene at the house in the 2800-block of 15th Street.

The Northern District of Illinois U.S. Attorney's Office said according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Monday, Schneider posted a video of himself on Oct. 16, 2025, on Instagram in which he stated, "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."

The video also allegedly 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!!!"

Court documents state he posted the same video multiple times over the next few days.

According to the complaint, a concerned citizen in Florida saw the video and reported it to law enforcement.

Schneider has been charged with "making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

On Monday afternoon, Schneider appeared in federal court at the Dirksen Federal Building, where a judge ordered him to remain in custody pending a detention hearing on Thursday.

Schneider told the judge he has never been a threat to others, calling the charges "fraud" and, at one point, saying, "the military is watching everything." He also referred to doctors and judges as "frauds" several times during his appearance Monday.

Schneider, seen in mugshot from 2002, has previous had run-ins with law enforcement.

The complaint stated that he posted multiple violent message about public officials on social media in 2022.

A Winthrop Harbor neighbor told ABC7 Schneider has lived alone in the house going on 10 years. The neighbor said that there is relief among neighbors that Schneider is being detained.

Toward the end of his court appearance Monday, Schneider told Judge Jeffrey Gilbert, "Thursday, you would have all your facts straight," and asked if he could get an apology by then.

The judge replied, "On Thursday, we will have a hearing."

Secret Service Director Sean Curran issued a statement, 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."