The Secret Service is reportedly investigating John Schneider after the “Dukes of Hazzard” alum suggested on social media that President Biden should be “publicly hung.”
Deadline reported Thursday that the federal agency has opened a probe, and while a Secret Service rep did not confirm the investigation to Pvnew, we were told it is “aware” of the matter surrounding Schneider, 63.
“The Secret Service is aware of the comments made by Mr. Schneider, and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence,” spokesman Steven Kopek tells us Friday.
“We can say, however, that the Secret Service investigates all threats related to our protectees.”
Schneider’s incendiary post, which set off alarms, has been deleted but was originally sent directly to Biden, 81, at 2:02 a.m. Thursday.
It read, “Mr. President, I believe you are guilty of treason and should be publicly hung. Your son too. Your response is..? Sincerely, John Schneider.”
The TV star, who rose to fame in the role of Beauregard “Bo” Duke, tells Pvnew in response via his rep Friday, “Seriously, folks? 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.”
Schneider then seemingly defended his initial stance by alluding to his right to free speech.
“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,” he adds via his rep.
Schneider then concludes, “Transparency and accountability must happen in order for our constitutional republic to survive. There is no threat implied or otherwise in that statement.”
Despite the retraction of his initial post, Schneider is very vocal about his political views on social media.
Another post on his X account, formerly known on Twitter, shared on Oct. 11 reads, “Can anyone deny that Joe Biden has funded the Hamas barbaric and inhumane attack on Israel?
“6 billion in liquidity goes a long way. A long way toward hell. What will American hostages cost this time? Biden has put a price on the head of all Americans traveling abroad.”
Schneider has gone through a very difficult time in his personal life recently when he lost his wife, Alicia Allain, in February after a two-year battle with breast cancer.
Just a few days after her passing, the “The Haves and the Have Nots” alum took to Facebook to share how he “desperately” missed her.
“Grief is much too small a word,” he added in his post at the time. “I’ve heard it said that ‘with great love comes great sorrow.’ I had no idea what that meant until now.”
Schneider had a moment of happiness, though, when he appeared on the most recent season of “The Masked Singer” as the Donut.
He said on Wednesday’s episode, in which he was eliminated, “God knows that I could really, really use a little joy in my life right now, and winning would give me great, great, great joy.”
Schneider placed second in the masked singing competition show, which was ultimately won by Ne-Yo.
