An Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, man running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate faces accusations of making threats to kill President Donald Trump and a member of Congress.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed that Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Raymond Chandler in Pittsburgh, along with the United States Secret Service.
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Court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, obtained by local media, outline the alleged threatening statements authorities say Chandler made.
According to the affidavit, Chandler reportedly left an unidentified member of Congress a voicemail on April 18, during which he said he asked the person to think about how 1,000 people would “pull you out of your house and they slit your throat, and they slit your daughter’s throat, and they slit everyone’s throat.”
The affidavit also said he followed that up by stating this must happen because “wealth concentration has gotten so bad in this country.”
The filing also notes that on April 29, Chandler left another voicemail to an unidentified member of Congress, saying, “I want you to put that firearm to the President’s head, and I want you to pull the trigger and I want you to kill him.” He then said that President Trump is “a liar among all liars. He’s a great deceiver. He’s the antichrist.”
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The congressmember’s representatives eventually reached out to authorities after Chandler’s voicemails became increasingly violent rhetoric aimed at Trump, members of Congress, and ICE.
Just hours before his arrest, Chandler posted a YouTube video as part of his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. In the video, titled “It’s Time to Tax the Billionaires,” he announced his intention to challenge Senator John Fetterman in the 2028 election.
His campaign website outlines a range of progressive priorities, including taxing billionaires, expanding social programs, regulating Big Tech, and abolishing ICE—positions that are widely accepted within the Democrat Party.
A Pa. man has been indicted for allegedly threatening President Trump and federal officials | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/AZSd6nm25T
— WGAL (@WGAL) May 23, 2026
Earlier this month, the suspect charged in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting made his initial appearance in federal court, where he was formally advised of the charges filed by prosecutors.
Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is accused of entering the Washington Hilton while armed with multiple weapons and attempting to reach the ballroom where President Trump was attending the dinner alongside Cabinet officials and journalists Saturday night.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Allen appeared in court wearing a blue jail uniform and faces charges including attempted assassination of the President of the United States, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and transporting a firearm across state lines, Fox News reported.
Allen spoke softly during his court appearance.
As he was led into the courtroom by marshals, he scanned the public gallery, which included over 40 members of the press and general public.
He nodded as Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh explained various aspects of the proceedings.
“He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine told the court. “We are asking the court to preventatively detain Mr. Allen.”
“Cole Allen’s journey of accountability in the criminal justice system starts today,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a press conference, adding, “There will be additional charges as this investigation continues to unfold.”
“But make no mistake, this was an attempted assassination of the President of the United States, with the defendant making clear what his intent was,” Pirro continued. “And that intent was to bring down as many of the high ranking Cabinet officials as he could. This is the kind of situation that we cannot tolerate.”
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
