Man behind Whitmer kidnap plot also wanted to kill Trump: FBI

"I say we hang everything currently governing us, they're all guilty!!!, Wanna hang this mf'er too," Croft said, depicting a picture of President Trump.

Other names on Croft's hit list included Obama, both Clintons, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Liberals, Muslims, as well as Trump, and all anti-Americans.

A post from June 24 expressed Croft's desire to pursue harm against numerous different political persuasions. "June 24 I'm for hanging Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians," Croft said.

Croft and the five others who were initially arrested for their plot against Gov. Whitmer are a small portion of a larger group who call themselves the "Wolverine Watchmen."

Their initial plot centered around removing the governor from office for shutting down the state on account of Covid, but, as made evident by the Facebook post, would have also included a wider range of targets.

Under 18 U.S. Code 871, threats against the President of the United States are punishable by up to five years in jail and $250,000 in fines. The defense attorneys representing Croft claim that the threats—which were not actualized—were only bluffs, an exercise of his First Amendment rights under the United States constitution.

The evidence against Croft and his conspirators is overwhelming. According to Ken Bensinger, an investigative journalist, the FBI has recovered 13,000 pages of encrypted texts and hundreds of hours of audio recording, detailing plans to carry out acts of violence and plans for the stockpiling of weapons and explosives.

An affidavit obtained by The Detroit News shows that it was a militia member working as an informant with the FBI that helped expose and thwart the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

The militia member had met with the would-be kidnappers, and after hearing their plans, contacted the FBI and agreed to become an informant for the agency.

That affidavit opened up permissions for the FBI to search alleged kidnap plotter Barry Croft's social media, which revealed posts made to Facebook, detailing exactly what he would do if given the opportunity.

In the preliminary hearing on October 16, a federal judge ordered the six suspects to be heard before a grand jury at a later date.