Do We Have an Extremist Problem?

President Trump and Gov. Whitmer exchange more jabs

13 People, 1 Plot, A Fractured nation

13 people were arrested in early October in an apparent plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The group, upset at what they viewed were unconstitutional restrictions due to Coronavirus, hatched an elaborate plot against the Governor. They met several times, including two separate tactical training sessions, while also scoping out the area around Governor Whitmer's summer house on Lake Michigan. They even went so far as trying to gauge response time for police while trying to think of ways to slow them down, eventually settling on blowing up a bridge that leads to the Governor's property.

This is all Trump's fault

Whitmer immediately blasted Trump, accusing him of inciting violence against her by continually attacking her and tweeting phrases like "LIBERATE MICHIGAN."


Whitmer places the blame for the plot squarely at Trump's feet. She believes his rhetoric at rallies and tweets like the one above are what inspired the group to go as far as they did. Even after the plot was revealed, Trump downplayed the threat at another rally, encouraging the crowd after they started chanting "lock her up" after he again brought up Whitmer. Governor Whitmer denounced Trump again, claiming that every time he targets her, the number of threats she receives spikes.

That's ridiculous, these guys have nothing to do with Trump

Red State is at it again, in a piece claiming that Democrats and the media have the narrative surrounding the plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer all wrong. They applaud the efforts of the FBI in breaking up the plot to kidnap Whitmer, but Arama, writing for Red State, decries Whitmer's response blaming Trump for the planned attack against her. Arama claims Whitmer tried to falsely link the president to the militant group, and as evidence he cites the fact that one of the conspirators in the plot is an anarchist and has expressed anti-Trump views. Arama points to the anarchist flag present behind the suspect in question in videos he has posted online and the fact that he has made comments condemning Trump. 

The Truth

Claiming that Trump's rhetoric had absolutely nothing to do with the plot against Whitmer because 1 of the 13 (13!) people plotting against her was anti-Trump is a stretch. It also ignores the fact that US Intelligence agencies have been raising red flags about the potential of violence from right wing extremists during the election. What people often overlook is that the overwhelming danger of terrorism within the United States comes from far-right groups, not from the Middle East. At the end of the day, people like the Proud Boys, or the Boogaloo Boys, or any number of far-right militias pose a real and direct threat to our country, and Trump is more than happy to incite them to violence in support of his cause.

Comments

  1. Brian GrayNovember 4, 2020 at 10:22 AM

    Great post! I think it is ridiculous that people do not think that Trump is connected to right wing extremism. While he may not outright support some of these groups, it is clear that his policies and language have allowed some of these extremists to come out of the woodwork now that the President has mirrored some of their views. Our country is deeply divided and there are bad people on both sides, but it is no coincidence that a lot of racist and sexist beliefs have come to the forefront under the Trump presidency.

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