Members of Michigan militia charged with plot to kidnap Whitmer spotted at anti-lockdown rallies: WaPo

Several of the men charged in connection with a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan attended rallies earlier this year protesting lockdown measures she put in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Washington Post reported Sunday. 

Photos and video analyzed by the Post shows at least three of the men in attendance at a late-April rally, all of them carrying long guns inside the state Capitol building. Several others charged in connection with case were active in protests, the Post found. 

In total, 13 men have been charged in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and take her to a remote location in another state to “stand trial” for what they allege to be crimes she has committed against citizens in her state. 

The men and several others were intercepted by federal law enforcement in early October after authorities said they met several times to discuss their plans and staked out the governor’s northern Michigan residence. 

Whitmer issued sweeping lockdown measures on homes and businesses in Michigan in the spring as coronavirus cases there surged. 

President Trump has been critical of lockdown measures imposed by state governors since the pandemic began, calling on citizens to “LIBERATE MICHIGAN” in at least one tweet. 

Whitmer has accused Trump of fueling the flames of discord in her state and others around the country that precipitated the plot to kidnap her. 

Trump has dismissed Whitmer’s criticism as politically motivated.