The FBI arrested a Pennsylvania Democrat running for Senate after he allegedly left graphic voicemails threatening to kill President Donald Trump, a member of Congress, and the lawmaker’s daughter. Raymond Chandler III faces federal charges for death threats made between April 2025 and January 2026.
Death Threat Voicemails Detail Violent Scenarios
According to the FBI criminal complaint filed in Western District of Pennsylvania, Chandler left multiple threatening voicemails starting April 18, 2025. In one message, he described a scenario where “a thousand people” would surround the homes of billionaires and their families, then “pull you out of your house and slit your throat.” The voicemail concluded with demands to “redistribute the wealth away from people like you.” Days later, Chandler allegedly called the same congressman demanding he assassinate President Trump in the Oval Office.
In an April 29, 2025 voicemail, Chandler allegedly told the congressman: “I want you to walk into the Oval Office with a gun in your hand. I want you to put it to his temple, and I want you to pull the trigger.” He described Trump as “the antichrist” and claimed he was exercising his free speech rights by petitioning his elected official to assassinate the president.
Radical Platform and 2028 Senate Ambitions
Chandler recently declared his candidacy for the 2028 U.S. Senate race as a Democrat, hoping to challenge Senator John Fetterman. His campaign website lists “Tax the Billionaires” as the top priority among sixteen far-left proposals. Other platform items include abolishing ICE, establishing universal basic income, and various wealth redistribution schemes. The FBI affidavit documents additional threatening messages where Chandler referenced buying a combat knife and expressed willingness to engage in armed resistance against immigration enforcement.
Federal Charges and Constitutional Concerns
Chandler faces two federal counts: influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member, and threatening a federal official. The case raises questions about where protected political speech ends and criminal threats begin. While Americans have First Amendment rights to criticize elected officials, the FBI determined Chandler’s detailed descriptions of violence crossed into illegal territory. The arrest highlights growing concerns about political violence and threats against government officials from across the ideological spectrum as tensions remain high in American politics.