Thread by @InsiderNews

As the trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan @GovWhitmer unfolds in federal court this week, it marks a new and alarming chapter in the slow but steady unraveling of American politics in recent years. ⬇️
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When the plot was first revealed in October 2020, it was terrifyingly vivid in its details.
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The plot served as a sequel to the demonstrations at the Michigan state capital that spring, when armed protestors occupied the building and stood in the galleries above lawmakers to express their opposition to COVID restrictions imposed by Gov. Whitmer.
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Some of the plotters, believing the occupation didn't go far enough, decided the governor must be punished for her "tyrannical reign." They also spoke of shooting police, seeking "Zionist banker blood," and killing those who supported vaccinations.
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After the arrests, the story made national headlines and was the subject of late-night parodies. Then, following the turmoil of the 2020 election, it quickly faded from the conversation.
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After all, a foiled plot targeting a state governor, no matter how cinematic, seemed minor in comparison to the full-scale assault on American democracy that took place on January 6.
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In federal court, prosecutors plan to argue that a bunch of men, brain-poisoned by the Internet and driven stir-crazy by COVID, were days away from kidnapping the governor. The defendants will acknowledge they were, in fact.
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But they insist the plot was nothing but talk — a kind of militia cosplay, an outlet to vent their rage at the government. They never planned to follow through on their plans, they claim, and were set up by FBI informants who had infiltrated their ranks.
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It's entirely possible that the men might never have found the will or the wherewithal to make good on their dark threats.
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This type of paranoia is nothing new in American politics.

Subscribe to @thisisinsider to read more about the trial. ⬇️
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