13 arrested following plot to kidnap Governor of Michigan and “instigate a civil war”

Among the men arrested are members of two right-wing militia groups

13 men have been arrested following a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer. Officials in Michigan said that the plan was to "instigate a civil war". It is believed that the group tested out a home-made bomb they intended to use to divert police away from her home. Whitmer said that she felt as though President Donald Trump was partly responsible for the attack, as he has failed to condemn hate groups on a number of occasions. Speaking to CNN, she said: "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." This is in reference to comments made by Trump in the presidential debate last week. President Trump also tweeted the words "LIBERATE MICHIGAN" earlier in the year, in response to the city being put on lockdown due to Covid-19 restrictions. Trump is yet to respond to the news of the planned kidnapping.