Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Threatening To Kill Multiple Public Officials

CHICAGO - A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for making a true threat to kill multiple public officials, including President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.

On Oct. 21, 2025, TRENT SCHNEIDER posted a video of himself on Instagram in which he stated, "People like me have suffered real [expletive] crimes from [expletive] judges, doctors, lawyers, police. They all should be killed. All of them should be executed for what they've done . . . 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."

On the same day, Schneider appeared at the Lake County, Ill. courthouse and told the judge presiding over Schneider's pending foreclosure case that he would burn the courthouse down.

A federal jury in Chicago earlier this year convicted Schneider, 58, of Winthrop Harbor, Ill., of making a true threat in interstate commerce to injure a person. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman sentenced Schneider to three years and two months in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Jim Morley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lake County, Ill. Sheriff's Office and the Winthrop Harbor, Ill. Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna Helwig and Paige Nutini.

"As I have repeatedly stated since becoming U.S. Attorney, threats against public officials are an attack on our democracy and must be met with swift and serious consequences," said U.S. Attorney Boutros. "The Chicago U.S. Attorney's Office is working in lockstep with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminal threats of violence, including political violence. Those who cross the line into such conduct and activity will not find safe haven in the Northern District of Illinois."

"Safeguarding the President of the United States and all our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service's top priority, as this case demonstrates," said Acting SAIC Morley. "Political violence has no place in civil society, and we will vigorously pursue threats against our protectees. I commend the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois for its diligent prosecution in this important case. I also thank our law enforcement partners at the Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Winthrop Harbor Police Department for their support and collaboration throughout this investigation."