On Thursday, American federal agents exposed a stunning plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, the Democrat governor of the state of Michigan.
The chargesheet filed by the FBI indicates that the kidnapping plot was carefully planned to the point where rehearsals were held to simulate kidnapping plans. The group also made plans to construct explosives and trained with firearms. They have been identified as Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta. The conspirators allegedly wanted to remove Whitmer from office citing her "uncontrolled power" and their intent on "murdering tyrants".
"The individuals in (state) custody are suspected to have attempted to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to target them, made threats of violence intended to instigate a civil war, and engaged in planning and training for an operation to attack the capitol building of Michigan and to kidnap government officials, including the governor of Michigan," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Simultaneously, seven members of the paramilitary group called the Wolverine Watchmen were charged in state court for allegedly seeking to storm the Michigan Capitol and seek a "civil war." The FBI asserts that the would-be kidnappers had ties to this group.
The news of the alleged plot comes at a time when American politics has been wracked by unrest and political battles over the election in November. President Donald Trump has also been a vociferous critic of Whitmer, at one point deeming her COVID-19 lockdown restrictions despotic and calling for people to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" in a controversial tweet.
During the recent presidential debate, Trump received widespread condemnation for refusing to disown white nationalists. Security experts have been cautioning against the rise in white nationalist groups across the country and the predictable spike in domestic terrorism.