Several significant elements to this domestic terrorism plot pointing to why it’s much bigger deal than the one off guy plots “F.B.I. Says Michigan Anti-Government Group Plotted to Kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer” nytimes.com/2020/10/08/us/…
1- MI-Whitmer plot more than just 1, 2 people, dozen or more arrests so far, scale sizable and increasingly appears to be multi-state beyond Michigan
2- MI-Whitmer plot advanced far past “guy with bad thoughts, posts & some ideas”. See here a specific objective, defined time, deliberate recruitment, planning, reconnaissance, weapons testing ...way more advanced than most plots
3- #whitmer - MI plot - potential employment of a diversion, analyzing police response times, fundraising for explosives - not the typical sophistication of plots. Concerned about where that’s learned, or gained in a network
4- #whitmer - MI plot & mentions of civil war, targeting law enforcement points to many elements of online groups like Boogaloo, election mobilization talk.
5- #whitmer - MI plot: recent history of mobilizations against lockdowns in April, US leaders allegations of voter fraud and specific targeting of Whitmer with comments - incitement leads to dangerous violence
6- #whitmer - MI plot: also points to the iceberg theory of terror plots. The more arrested, the bigger the support network sub-surface & supporters online warontherocks.com/2015/11/what-p… 
7- #whitmer - MI: FBI did great job on this case despite President constantly deriding & undermining them. Let’s hope these arrests don’t kick off other extremists to mobilize in the way we’ve seen with international terror networks
8- #whitmer - MI plot: also interesting contrast from international terror days where question would be “is it AQ or ISIS” when in the west plots usually some of both. Same here - group sees to pull lots of different domestic extremist threads - indicative social media era
9 -#Whitmer - MI plot: Michigan affidavit confirms "Boogaloo" matching social media from those arrested that suggested the same. michigan.gov/documents/ag/A…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
