Actor John Schneider denied his controversial remarks were meant as a death threat against President Joe Biden but the U.S. Secret Service has reportedly launched an investigation.
The star of the 80s television hit “Dukes of Hazzard” had posted – then deleted – a message to the president on X saying Biden is “guilty of treason and should be publicly hung,” adding, ‘Your son too. Your response is..?”
“Officially, the White House and the Secret Service, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security, are saying nothing on any investigation of Schneider. However, sources close to events confirm a probe is in the preliminary stage,” Deadline reported Thursday.
“We look at all threats against our protectees and, due to intent, this falls under the definition of a threat,” a law enforcement insider told the outlet.
The 63-year-old actor, who had just finished an appearance on “The Masked Singer” was responding to a post by Biden.
“Trump poses many threats to our country: The right to choose, civil rights, voting rights, and America’s standing in the world,” the president’s X account stated. “But the greatest threat he poses is to our democracy. If we lose that, we lose everything.”
BREAKING REPORT: Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider says BIDEN IS ‘GUILTY of treason’. pic.twitter.com/CoDIscoSUe
— Omar Navarro (@RealOmarNavarro) December 22, 2023
Schneider, who has been local in his criticism of Biden and Democrats, deleted the post and then attempted to clarify his comments.
“I suggest you re-read my actual post and pay attention to the words before believing this nonsense,” he said in a statement
“It’s my position, which I am entitled to have, that some of our nation’s leaders in Washington have lost their way, and corruption runs rampant, both on our nation’s borders and abroad,” the statement continued. “Transparency and accountability must happen in order for our constitutional republic to survive. There is no threat implied or otherwise in that statement.”
Schneider doubled down in a second statement.
“Seriously, folks?” he said in another statement to Deadline. “This is my final comment on this. I neither said nor implied any such thing. Despite headlines claiming otherwise, in my post, I absolutely did not call for an act of violence or threaten a U.S. president as many other celebrities have done in the past. I suggest you re-read my actual post and pay attention to the words before believing this nonsense.”
“It’s my position, which I am entitled to have, that some of our nations leaders in Washington have lost their way, and corruption runs rampant, both on our nation’s borders and abroad,” Schneider continued. “Transparency and accountability must happen in order for our constitutional republic to survive. There is no threat implied or otherwise in that statement.”
