'Grab the Fuckin’ Governor, Just Grab the Bitch': Six Alleged Militia Members Charged With Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer

The FBI has charged six men with conspiracy to kidnap after the agency allegedly thwarted a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer by infiltrating a militia group through a network of undercover agents and informants. According to an FBI affidavit, the group planned to ambush the governor at her personal vacation home in Western Michigan and possibly put her on “trial” for tyranny.

The affidavit exposes the misogynistic undercurrents of a militia that ostensibly aimed to form a “self-sufficient” society that “followed the U.S. Bill of Rights, but very quickly changed its focus to taking down a woman governor, who it predictably labeled a “tyrant bitch,” according to the affidavit.

“At one point, several members talked about state governments they believed were violating the U.S. Constitution, including the government of Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Several members talked about murdering “tyrants” or “taking” a sitting governor.’

At this meeting, the group reportedly decided they should reach out to militant groups from other states, including Michigan, allegedly putting member Adam Fox in charge of Michigan recruitment efforts. As part of that effort, Fox used social media to complain about Witmer’s efforts to contain the spread of covid-19 by closing non-essential businesses, such as gyms.

According to the affidavit:

“On June 25, 2020, Fox live-streamed a video to a private Facebook group…in which he complained about the judicial system and the State of Michigan controlling the opening of gyms. Fox referred to Governor Whitmer as ‘this tyrant bitch,’ and stated, ‘I don’t know, boys, we gotta do something.”

They appear to have settled on a plan to build homemade explosive devices in order to kidnap the governor at her private Michigan vacation home before the November 3 election and possibly blow up a bridge in order to escape the police–though earlier plans as to what to do with the governor ranged from killing her outright to taking her to another location for “trial”:

At one meeting, the affidavit says Fox said the group should “‘Snatch and grab, man. Grab the fuckin’ Governor. Just grab the bitch. Because at that point, we do that, dude — it’s over.’ Fox said that after kidnapping the Governor, the group would remove her to a secure location in Wisconsin for ‘trial.’”

The FBI had originally begun monitoring the militia in connection with a private social media group focused on overthrowing the government and discussing the possibility of throwing “Molotov cocktails” at police vehicles, though covid-19 restrictions and Governor Whitmer eventually became the targets of their plot. And though no political affiliations were listed in the affidavit, it is worth noting that as the FBI was infiltrating the militia organization and documenting its selection process for targeting sitting governors, Donald Trump was tweeting missives such as “Liberte Michigan” in response to actions taken to control the spread of covid-19.

On a call in July, during which the group allegedly discussed the merits of sending homemade bombs to the governor, the affidavit says Fox talked about “taking back” America through destruction and violence:

“In all honesty right now . . . I just wanna make the world glow, dude. I’m not even fuckin’ kidding. I just wanna make it all glow dude. I don’t fuckin’ care anymore, I’m just so sick of it. That’s what it’s gonna take for us to take it back, we’re just gonna have to everything’s gonna have to be annihilated man. We’re gonna topple it all, dude. It’s what great frickin’ conquerors, man, we’re just gonna conquer every fuckin’ thing man.”