'As My Elected Official, I Want You to Assassinate the President': Pennsylvania Man Charged After Threatening Congress Member

It's not surprising that some believe they can create change. Raymond Eugene Chandler III of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, is one such person, planning to run for a US Senate seat in 2028.

Chandler seems committed to his bid but may have crossed a line, leading to his arrest on 1 May. He faces federal charges after allegedly making graphic threats against a Congress member, the member's daughter, and President Donald Trump from April 2025 to January of this year, Fox News reported.

Graphic Threats Against Lawmaker and Daughter

Chandler sent his first voice mail on 18 April 2025 to the unnamed Congress member, according to an arrest affidavit. It was a disturbing message in which he expressed disgust over the current government, emphasizing how greed has worsened in the country.

'I want you to imagine a scenario where all the 1,200 billionaires in this country, all their properties are surrounded simultaneously by a thousand people,' Chandler allegedly said in a voice mail.

'Imagine your house, your daughter's house, everyone you know and love who is also rich. Imagine every single one of those homes being surrounded by a thousand people. Then imagine them all getting a text and then suddenly taking out their pocket knives, walking slowly towards your house with your 10 guards or whatever against a thousand people, and then they come and they pull you out of your house and they slit your throat and they slit your daughter's throat and they slit everyone's throat.'

While the identity of the government official was not mentioned, the Right Angle News Network claims that it was possibly Senator John Fetterman and his 13-year-old daughter that Chandler was referring to.

Chandler did not stop there. He reportedly sent another message to the same member on 29 April 2025, this time directing him to kill Trump.

'Sir, I'm calling this evening because what I want you to do is I want you to take a firearm. I want you to put it in your hand. I want you to walk into the Oval Office. I want you to put that firearm to the President's head,' Chandler allegedly said. 'I want you to kill the President. I want you to assassinate the President. That's what I want you to do. Now, Senator, are you gonna come after me? Are you going to try me because of my voice and what I said?'

FBI Responds Amid Political Violence Concerns

Whether Chandler was serious or not, it came at a sensitive time. His arrest happened roughly a week after an armed gunman, Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended after an alleged assassination attempt on Trump.

Before the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting on 25 April, Allen had already expressed his disdain for the current US government and laid out plans to assassinate Trump and members of his administration, CNN reported.

Allen is the third person accused of attempting to kill the US President. The two others were Thomas Matthew Crooks in July 2024 and Ryan Routh in September 2024.

Comparing the case of Allen and Chandler, the motives were noticeably similar. As to how serious the Pennsylvania man's intent was is anyone's guess. However, the FBI made it clear that they will not tolerate violence, particularly against public officials.

'The FBI will not tolerate threats of violence and will work tirelessly to protect public officials and all members of our communities. This arrest is a great example of our work with our law enforcement partners at the USSS, the US Capitol Police and the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania,' the agency said in a statement.