Agent: Whitmer kidnapping defendants ‘excited’ about videos showing powerful explosives

An FBI agent testified Monday that two leaders of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) excitedly watched videos of explosives hours before driving to scout her house.

Agent Tim Bates worked undercover in summer 2020 to trick the leaders into believing he knew someone in the mining industry who could get them powerful explosives, according to The Associated Press.

One of the leaders, Adam Fox, allegedly wanted to blow up a bridge near Whitmer’s vacation home to halt any police response to a kidnapping.

Bates showed the group videos of explosives blowing up an SUV, while secretly recording conversations with the men. He testified they were “excited” about what they saw, the AP reported.

Prosecutors charged four men with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer due to their frustration with statewide COVID-19 policies. FBI agent Todd Reineck previously said authorities arrested the four men in fall 2020 due to concerns that they would obtain explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Roth also said before that the four men were “willing and eager” to commit the kidnapping attempt.