A Pennsylvania Democrat planning a 2028 Senate run sits in federal custody after allegedly threatening to orchestrate mass violence against political figures and demanding a sitting member of Congress assassinate President Donald Trump.
Graphic Threats Against Lawmaker and Family
Raymond Chandler III faces federal charges for leaving multiple voicemails between April 2025 and January depicting graphic scenarios. According to FBI court documents, he described armed mobs surrounding the homes of wealthy politicians and their families, then systematically killing them with pocket knives. His messages targeted an unnamed member of Congress, the lawmaker’s daughter, and President Trump. Chandler recently declared his candidacy for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, hoping to unseat Senator John Fetterman in 2028.
Demands for Presidential Assassination
One voicemail from April 2025 specifically instructed the Congress member to shoot President Trump in the Oval Office. Chandler allegedly called Trump the Antichrist and the greatest deceiver, demanding his assassination as a form of constituent petition. He questioned whether the lawmaker would prosecute him for exercising what he termed free speech. Additional messages referenced his purchase of combat knives and daggers, expressing terror that the government would kill him and advocating armed resistance against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Radical Campaign Platform
Chandler’s campaign website features extreme left-wing positions including abolishing ICE, implementing universal basic income, and his top priority: taxing billionaires. The criminal complaint details how he framed his violent threats within political grievances about wealth concentration and suffering Americans. He warned that redistributing wealth away from the rich represents the only path to avoiding mass violence, though he claimed not to personally advocate such actions.
Federal Charges Filed
The FBI charged Chandler in the Western District of Pennsylvania with threatening a federal official’s family member and attempting to influence or retaliate against federal officials through threats. His alleged campaign of intimidation spanned nine months before authorities took action. The case highlights growing concerns about political violence and threats against elected officials. Federal prosecutors will determine whether additional charges related to threatening the President will be pursued as the investigation continues.