FBI thwarts Michigan "militia" plot to kidnap Michigan Governor (3 Viewers)

[superchuck500]

The group, six of which are identified and charged in the criminal complaint, has been recruiting, including at the 2nd Amendment rally at the Michigan state house earlier this year, and "training" in August. Th group has also allegedly stockpiled weapons and other material for the plan. The plan included talk of kidnapping other governors.

The FBI has now made multiple public comments that right-wing militias are a threat to peace in the United States, particularly as we move toward an uncertain time with a presidential election in the midst of a pandemic.

According to the complaint, a Michigan-based militia group attempted to recruit members for the operation, which included storming the Capitol building in Lansing and take hostages, including Whitmer. The plan was reportedly supposed to be executed before the November 2020 election.

The militia group reportedly held several meetings over the summer where they participated in firearms training and combat drills; they also attempted to build IED devices, which were faulty and did not detonate as planned, according to the complaint.

The group then reportedly decided to abduct the governor at her vacation home and take her to a secure location in Wisconsin for "trial."

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/n...nap-michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer/5922301002/




Here is the full criminal complaint filed in federal court in Michigan:

 

[wardorican]

Agreed. Anyone who would do this against any politician is a threat to the Republic. This is home grown terrorism. Anyone complaining about protests in the streets, 'cities burning', should be at the forefront of condemning this.

This is wrong. Violently trying to overtake a state government, or kidnap/hurt/kill a duly elected official is wrong. Just like it was very wrong when Steve Scalise got shot at the congressional softball game. It was an act of evil.

 

[Ayo]

Agreed. Anyone who would do this against any politician is a threat to the Republic. This is home grown terrorism. Anyone complaining about protests in the streets, 'cities burning', should be at the forefront of condemning this.

This is wrong. Violently trying to overtake a state government, or kidnap/hurt/kill a duly elected official is wrong. Just like it was very wrong when Steve Scalise got shot at the congressional softball game. It was an act of evil.

meanwhile, right wing media star (and recovering liberal I know) and someone whose praise video banner was purchased by the Trump campaign had this to say:



lol...

What a putrid human being.

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

If Trump loses do not be surprised to see assassinations.

 

[MT15]

Attempts, Saul, for all of our sakes, let’s just say attempts that will be thwarted like this one.

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

I certainly hope they don't happen but I see it as the unfortunate consequence of the path that political discourse has degraded to in this country.

 

[LA - L.A.]

If Trump loses do not be surprised to see assassinations.

Assassinations of who? I don't think there's any more risk of a high ranking official being assassinated than there is of Trump launching nukes. Both are in the realm of possibility, but both are highly unlikely to actually happen.

Conspiracies and attempts to assassinate, maybe, but not successful attempts on high ranking officials.

 

[brandon]

Assassinations of who? I don't think there's any more risk of a high ranking official being assassinated than there is of Trump launching nukes. Both are in the realm of possibility, but both are highly unlikely to actually happen.

Conspiracies and attempts to assassinate, maybe, but not successful attempts on high ranking officials.

I mean, if we're having assassination attempts (as in, plural), then it's a short walk to one of them being successful. It wasn't too long ago that President Reagan was shot while surrounded by secret service.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I mean, if we're having assassination attempts (as in, plural), then it's a short walk to one of them being successful. It wasn't too long ago that President Reagan was shot while surrounded by secret service.

Surveillance and protection has increased exponentially since Reagan was shot and Hinckley only got a shot at Reagan, because he was mentally disturbed and working alone.

I don't see a sudden rash of Hinckley types and even so, they'd probably out themselves on social media just like the guy that SaintForLife pointed out was part of this group.

I just don't see a bunch of assassination attempts happening just because Trump loses. This foiled plan was not tied to Trump losing the election.

If there are a bunch of assassination attempts after a Trump loss, then I think they would most likely have happened even if he won.

 

[wardorican]

Let's take a bit of a deep breath here. Honestly, the only modern president I was worried about being attacked was Obama.

Let's all preach calmness and closely watch those around us that may have a screw loose.

 

[MT15]

This guy is a reliable source for Internet fringe groups. His findings on this group.



“Several of the six men charged in federal court Thursday with a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have histories of anti-government organizing, as well as interest in countering what they saw as an "uprising" against President Donald Trump, according to their online profiles and comments.

In addition, several of the seven men facing separate state terrorism charges for their activity with a group called the Wolverine Watchmen also posted pro-Trump and anti-government content.”

 

[Maxp]

My father has been wearing Hawaiian shirts since before Magnum PI. He is also an ultra liberal and now he is pissed about the Boogaloo boys wearing his shirts.

 

[SaintForLife]

This guy is a reliable source for Internet fringe groups. His findings on this group.



“Several of the six men charged in federal court Thursday with a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have histories of anti-government organizing, as well as interest in countering what they saw as an "uprising" against President Donald Trump, according to their online profiles and comments.

In addition, several of the seven men facing separate state terrorism charges for their activity with a group called the Wolverine Watchmen also posted pro-Trump and anti-government content.”

Their leader said Trump is a tyrant:

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

Surveillance and protection has increased exponentially since Reagan was shot and Hinckley only got a shot at Reagan, because he was mentally disturbed and working alone.

I don't see a sudden rash of Hinckley types and even so, they'd probably out themselves on social media just like the guy that SaintForLife pointed out was part of this group.

I just don't see a bunch of assassination attempts happening just because Trump loses. This foiled plan was not tied to Trump losing the election.

If there are a bunch of assassination attempts after a Trump loss, then I think they would most likely have happened even if he won.

The rage in the electorate is far more palpable now.

 

[LA - L.A.]

The rage in the electorate is far more palpable now.

No it's not. Anger and anxiety are at a higher level across a larger portion of the population, but that's not rage.

Domestic extremist are a serious threat. They have been for at least 15 years. It's irrational and approaches paranoia to think that a large number of people are going to go a wide scale assassination spree if Trump loses the election. If the outcome of a presidential election was ever going to set that off, like @wardorican said, it would have happened after Obama won.

Saying there be wide scale assassinations if Trump loses sounds like the kind of fearmongering I'd expect from Trump and his supporters. I mean, who's to say the palpable rage you think you're sensing isn't actually directed against Trump and him winning is what will set off the assassination spree that you fear?

 

[LA - L.A.]

Their leader said Trump is a tyrant:

Here's my list of important questions about those videos that I think anyone with any curiosity for the truth would ask themselves:

1. Where did those videos come from? Where did whoever Robby Starbuck is get them from? Maybe I'm just not twitter savy enough, but I can't find anywhere in his tweets where Robby Starbuck explains where he got these videos from or how he got these videos.
2. Who is Robby Starbuck? For all I know he could be serving as the propaganda coordinator for these groups. For all I know, he could be someone using the easy to find deep fake video software and completely fabricating these videos. Why should anyone trust Robby Starbuck about anything?
3. These videos were obviously produced for release to the general public. These are not private or secret communications between members. That raises the following questions:
   1. Why should I trust that these guys are being completely honest in their videos intended for public release? Communications by extremists like these are only honest when they are intended as private inter-group communications. Everything they produce for public distribution is filled with lies and the opposite of everything they say is the most likely truth. If they present themselves as anarchist in a publicly released video, odds are they are not anarchist. If they say they hate the cops, odds are they love the cops and some of them are cops. If they say Trump is not their friend, then they probably like and support Trump. These videos are not confessions or sincere manifestos, they are counter-intelligence and propaganda designed to cast blame away from themselves and their allies.
   2. Which brings me to the second question. What have we discovered that they tried to keep hidden and out of public view? Which is the most compelling evidence, these videos designed for public release or their private communications and activities? If the private communications and activities of these guys contradicts what they released to the public, which one do you think would be a more reliable and accurate indication of what these guys actually believe and who they identify themselves we being aligned with? Humans don't try to keep lies a private secret. If someone has tried to keep something a private secret, then that is their truth no matter what they say publicly.

So it's irrational and shows a lack of sincere curiosity for the truth to rely on any videos to draw any conclusions about these guys without having the answers to the questions above.

 

[MT15]

Here is another POV about the way Starbuck in particular has been selectively cherry picking content from the terrorists to serve his own purposes. If you go to the Twitter feed, it’s a thread explaining the ways extremist groups often use conflicting ideologies both as a recruiting tool and as a way of evading responsibility for their own beliefs. Warning for one f bomb, but the actual content of his mind is so much more obscene than that word.

 

[MT15]

Another one from Ben Collins

 

[Optimus Prime]

Agree 100%

Need to stop with all the ‘militia’ talk