During the early stages of the virus outbreak in the United States, experts estimated that if no precautions were taken, millions of Americans would die.
As a result, state and local leaders across the nation instituted stay-at-home orders and mask mandates while temporarily ordering non-essential businesses to close—all the while, they were decried by President Donald Trump and his allies who emphasized the damage these precautions could do to the economy.
Since then, Trump has since credited himself, not local leaders, for saving millions of lives even as the death toll inches closer to 250 thousand Americans.
Among the leaders Trump criticized for taking these precautions was Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Trump supporters stormed both the Michigan Capitol and Whitmer's home, egged on by Trump who tweeted to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" from expert-recommended guidelines.
LIBERATE MICHIGAN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020
Nearly six months later, federal and Michigan state officials announced on Thursday that 13 people associated with the right wing domestic terrorist militia Wolverine Watchmen have been arrested in connection with a plot to kidnap Whitmer.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel:
"The individuals in custody are suspected to have attempted to identify the home addresses of law enforcement officers in order to target them, made threats of violence intended to instigate a civil war, and engaged in planning and training for an operation to attack the capitol building of Michigan and to kidnap government officials, including the governor of Michigan."
Whitmer said that Trump and his unwillingness to condemn far-right extremist groups was partly to blame.
"Just last week, the President of the United States stood before the American people and refused to condemn white supremacists and hate groups like these two Michigan militia groups. 'Stand back and stand by,' he told them. 'Stand back and stand by.' Hate groups heard the President's words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry, as a call to action. When our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight."
Trump campaign official Jason Miller was asked about the arrests and Whitmer's comments.
Watch below.
Trump campaign official Jason Miller is on Fox News attacking Gretchen Whitmer, the victim of a kidnapping plot: "If we want to talk about hatred, then Gov. Whitmer, go look in the mirror -- the fact that she wakes up everyday with such hatred in her heart for President Trump." pic.twitter.com/sMXv7mgBfa
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 8, 2020
Miller said:
"These are some pretty shameful comments here from Governor Whitmer...If we want to talk about hatred, then Governor Whitmer, go look in the mirror -- the fact that she wakes up everyday with such hatred in her heart for President Trump."
People were stunned by Miller's comments.
#FireJasonMiller. Any official who would justify a terrorist plot to kidnap & kill a sitting US Governor has forfeited the public trust & must go! He is openly siding with the White Supremacist terrorist's reasons to kill her and her State Trooper security detail. #ResignNow https://t.co/UAIRiFTF5g
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) October 8, 2020
continuously impressed by their inability to take the high ground, even when it's the obvious path of least resistance https://t.co/wM6VbX6T7F
— Tim Murphy (@timothypmurphy) October 8, 2020
Terrorists, including foreign and domestic anti-American terrorists, typically claim their violent plot was justified by their target's hatred, aggression, and repressive actions.
But they don't usually get a spokesman for the American president defending that claim on television https://t.co/hkpmDoXoiJ
— Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) October 8, 2020
Jason Miller is on air condemning a woman who was the victim of a criminal plot other than his own this time. Unreal. https://t.co/NkSsa94zyS
— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) October 8, 2020
Gosh, you really just have to wonder where right-wing militias got the idea that they could openly plot an insurrection against Whitmer https://t.co/N3m0xLap1T
— Molly Hensley-Clancy (@mollyhc) October 8, 2020
Domestic terrorists plotted to kidnap the Governor of Michigan. Terrorists encouraged by Trump's dangerous rhetoric. So, what does the campaign do? Get on Fox and blame Governor Whitmer. We've passed deranged and now we into entirely different terrain. https://t.co/p2g1ZL3kEL
— ilyseh (@ilyseh) October 8, 2020
A right-wing militia group was going to kidnap and possibly murder @GovWhitmer and when she expressed genuine outrage and concern that the president keeps egging those groups on, Trump sent out his goon @JasonMillerinDC to say SHE has "hatred in her heart." Absolutely sick.
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) October 8, 2020
Meanwhile, support is flooding in for Whitmer, known colloquially by her supporters as "Big Gretch."
Twitter coming to protect Big Gretch like... pic.twitter.com/zEiqlAttAg
— ✨Amethyst✨ (@SavageAmethyst) October 8, 2020
I'm with her #BigGretch pic.twitter.com/07dS9Bu8cy
— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) October 8, 2020
First of all: no one better touch a single hair on Big Gretch
Second of all: Call them what they are. This was not plotted by a “militia," this was plotted by DOMESTIC TERRORISTS https://t.co/8rAdPQvQ1t
— Erick Javier (@E_J_Rodas) October 8, 2020
@WhatTheHec_tor/X
@K Phillips7/X
@marthabrendel/X
@DefunctWebs/X
