Prosecutors: Lake County man accused of posting online death threats targeting Trump

A 57-year-old Winthrop Harbor man was arrested Monday after posting online threats to kill President Donald Trump last month, records show.

According to court records, Trent Schneider posted a video of himself on a social media account Oct. 16 threatening to kill Trump and harm others as well. He then reposted the video several times over the course of several days.

Prosecutors said a “concerned citizen” in Florida saw the video and reported Schneider to authorities. He was arrested at his home Monday morning with assistance from the Lake County sheriff’s office and Winthrop Harbor police.

Authorities believe Schneider was upset that his house was being foreclosed Tuesday.

Schneider is charged with making a threat in interstate commerce to injure a person, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

He is being held in jail pending a Thursday detention hearing.

This was not the first interaction federal agents have had with Schneider, according to the indictment unsealed Monday.

In 2022, U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed Schneider at his home after he posted what was described in the indictment as “violent social media posts regarding government officials.” In a photograph taken during that interview, Schneider is wearing a baseball cap with a “Punisher” skull adorned with Trump’s blonde hairstyle.