A leftist mounting a long-shot campaign against Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman was arrested after he called on his senator to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to the FBI.
Raymond Chandler III was arrested Friday after law enforcement said he left several disturbing calls threatening the president. Chandler is also accused of leaving a message for the senator describing how he and his daughter would have their throats slit by a mob of people upset about their wealth.
“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,” Chandler said in a message to an unnamed member of Congress, according to an FBI affidavit. “That you know, sir, that is the future. It’s not a future I want, it’s not a future I’m advocating for, but wealth concentration has gotten so bad in this country.”
It’s unclear from the affidavit if Chandler left the messages for Fetterman or for Republican Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick.
Chandler, who supports abolishing ICE and wants to go after billionaires, describes himself as a Quaker-Buddhist who wants everyone to be treated with “empathy, kindness,” and respect.
“The greed has gotten so bad. People are suffering so much, sir, that that is what is in our future,” he added in the call, according to the FBI. “You will not escape their wrath. We must redistribute the wealth away from people like you.”
He was charged with multiple counts related to threats against federal officials and their families. In another phone call, Chandler is accused of calling for his senator to assassinate President Donald 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,” he allegedly said. “I want you to walk into the Oval Office. 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 said that Trump was “awful,” “a liar among all liars,” and the “antichrist.”
“I want you to put it to his temple, and I want you to pull the trigger. That is what I want you to do as my agent,” Chandler said, according to the affidavit. “That’s what I want you to do as my elected official. That’s what I am petitioning you to do with my free speech. I want you to kill the President. I want you to assassinate the President. That’s what I want you to do.”
Chandler previously left messages advocating for “armed resistance” to ICE alongside his willingness to “go to war and to ‘personally kill,’” according to the FBI. A lawyer appointed to represent Chandler declined to comment. A hearing is set for May 8 to determine whether to keep Chandler in federal custody.
Trump has faced a number of major assassination attempts, including most recently at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner when a gunman attempted to storm into the ballroom where he sat alongside other top government officials.
