Whitmer was the subject of a right wing kidnapping plot
Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan has accused President Donald Trump of inspiring domestic terrorism and implored him and other officials to “bring the heat down” after the president prompted “lock her up” chants at a rally in Muskegon on Saturday.
Whitmer, the subject of a right wing plot to storm the capital and kidnap her over coronavirus lockdown measures, told NBC’s Meet the Press that the chant was “incredibly disturbing.”
“Ten days after that was uncovered, the president is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism,” Whitmer said.
Read More: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer blames kidnap plot on Trump’s rhetoric
“People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down. This is the United States of America. We do not tolerate actions like he is giving comfort to,” she added.
State officials said that at least eight of the 14 men arrested for involvement in the conspiracy were associated with a militia group called Wolverine Watchmen and some had surveilled Whitmer’s vacation property to prepare for the plot.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has compiled evidence against the people suspected of plotting to kidnap and kill Gov. Whitmer. Among the evidence are chilling training videos and texts messages sent between the alleged conspirators as well as a wealth of photos and phone calls.
In the videos the men are seen training with semiautomatic weapons and demonstrating a taser that they allegedly planned to use in the kidnapping plot.
A federal judge ruled on Friday that five Michigan men would stand trial on conspiracy to kidnap charges.
Read More: Virginia governor also targeted by group that wanted to kidnap Whitmer, FBI says
While speaking to his supporters at Saturday’s rally, Trump encouraged Whitmer to loosen restrictions in Michigan, even though the Michigan Supreme Court upturned her orders earlier this month.
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The post Gov. Whitmer accuses Trump of inciting violence during rally appeared first on TheGrio.
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