Illinois man arrested for threatening Trump in Instagram video
Kyiv • UNN
Trent Schneider, 57, was arrested on federal charges for threatening Donald Trump in a video posted on Instagram. He repeatedly posted the same video and an image with a caricature of Trump, and also has a long criminal history.
In the US, a man from northern Illinois has been arrested on federal charges of threatening US President Donald Trump in a video posted online, CBS News reports, according to UNN.
Details
Trent Schneider, 57, was arrested Monday by Lake County Sheriff's Office SWAT officers at his Winthrop Harbor home and turned over to federal authorities.
He was charged with one count of "true threat to injure another person in interstate commerce," according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday.
Schneider is accused in connection with an Instagram video posted on October 16. According to the complaint, Schneider posted the same video 18 times between October 16 and October 21. He is also accused of posting numerous messages on social media with insults against public officials in 2022.
He is also accused of posting an image with a caricature of Trump approximately 20 times between October 26 and October 21, where he made similar statements.
Federal agents interviewed Schneider at his home on October 22, and when asked if he had posted threats online, he "became enraged and began yelling, demanding that the officers get off his property," the complaint states. Approximately an hour after the agents left his home, he posted another video.
On Monday, the U.S. Secret Service contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Office for assistance in obtaining a search and arrest warrant for Schneider's home. They requested the SWAT unit to help take Schneider into custody, and the Lake County Sheriff's Office stated that he was arrested without incident.
During Schneider's initial court appearance on Monday, he asked if he could be placed in a "Trump motel" "with popcorn" until his detention hearing, scheduled for Thursday.
Schneider also mentioned that one of his posts had been deleted and reposted. He also repeatedly discussed his mental health during Monday's hearing.
According to federal court officials, Schneider has a lengthy criminal history. In December 2022, he was arrested for threatening to "shoot up" a T-Mobile store, but was later found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to the charges filed Monday.
He has been ordered to remain in custody until his next court appearance on Thursday.