Unpacking The Plot To Kidnap The Michigan Governor

WAMU 88.5 | By Amanda Williams

Published October 12, 2020 at 8:56 AM EDT

William Null (R) stands in the gallery of the Michigan Senate Chamber during the American Patriot Rally on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. Others are unidentified. The Nulls were charged for their alleged roles in the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, according to the FBI.

Federal and state officials in Michigan recently made a startling announcement.

A group of men were plotting to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, storm the capitol and sparka civil war.

But state Attorney Gen. Dana Nessel said the threat goes beyond Michigan:

“There are multiple white supremacy groups and militia groups that have been acting in accordance with one another. And, you know, ultimately, their mission is what they call the boogaloo. Right? It’s an uprising or a civil war. And these are a number of groups that are acting in concert based on, you know, a shared extreme ideology. And, you know, this effort to have a mass uprising nationally. And, you know, it’s something that we should be very concerned about because, again, it’s not just a Michigan problem. This is now an American problem.”

Who were these men plotting to kidnap the governor? And what motivated them?