Dukes of Hazzard Star's Tweet Duly Noted by Secret Service

Former Dukes of Hazzard actor John Schneider is denying calling for an act of violence against President Biden and his son, Hunter, even as his comment of Wednesday has caught the attention of the Secret Service. Shortly after he was revealed as the runner-up on the season finale of The Masked Singer, Schneider responded to a tweet from President Biden. "Mr. President, I believe you are guilty of treason and should be publicly hung. Your son too," he wrote. The post reached hundreds of thousands of users before it was deleted, per the Los Angeles Times. Other tweets remain in which Schneider, replying to a post about Biden and his son, asks, "We still hang people for treason don't we?" and writes, "Joe gotta go… to jail. Treason is a serious crime. Especially if you are the president," per TVLine.

Fox canceled Schneider's media appearances following Wednesday's post. Asked for comment by Deadline, Schneider claimed he "absolutely did not call for an act of violence or threaten a US president." "I suggest you re-read my actual post," he added, stating "there is no threat implied or otherwise." The Secret Service apparently disagrees. "We look at all threats against our protectees and, due to intent, this falls under the definition of a threat," a law enforcement insider tells Deadline, claiming an investigation has been opened. A Secret Service spokesperson wouldn't confirm an investigation to the Times, but said the agency was "aware of the comments made by Mr. Schneider" and "investigates all threats related to our protectees." A credible threat against the president can result in up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per Deadline. (More Secret Service stories.)