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During a 2020 interview, Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed drew a direct line between former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and a thwarted kidnapping scheme targeting Governor Gretchen Whitmer. El-Sayed characterized the alleged conspirators as terrorists and suggested Trump’s inflammatory messaging created an environment conducive to radicalization and violence.
El-Sayed’s comments centered on Trump’s “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” tweets issued in spring 2020, which urged residents to challenge the governor’s pandemic-related restrictions. Though Trump never explicitly called for violence against Whitmer, El-Sayed contended the posts exemplified dangerous political toxicity that endangered the governor’s safety and contributed to extremist sentiment.
A militia-affiliated group including members of the Wolverine Watchmen allegedly plotted to abduct Whitmer from her northern Michigan residence in October 2020 as part of efforts to overturn COVID-19 lockdown orders. Law enforcement disrupted the scheme before any kidnapping attempt occurred, and 12 individuals faced charges in connection with the alleged plot.
The New York Times subsequently reported that four of the 12 charged participants were government agents or informants, sparking entrapment allegations. The FBI indicated the conspiracy originated before Trump’s social media posts, complicating El-Sayed’s causality claims.
El-Sayed faces Rep. Haley Stevens, a fellow Democrat, in Michigan’s August 4 primary election. His campaign declined to comment to Fox News Digital regarding whether recent reporting had altered his assessment of Trump’s responsibility for the kidnapping plot.
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