#Pro-Kyle Rittenhouse coronavirus denier arrested in plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer

This morning, the FBI announced it had arrested six men in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).

While details of the plot are still scarce, the FBI did release the names of the men behind the effort. According to the FBI, the men used social media to discuss violently overthrowing the government.

And the social media of one of them, Brandon Casertas, is filled with right-wing misinformation and violent memes. A Facebook page of his showcases his far-right bonafides. On it, he showers praise on Kenosha Wisconsin shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, calls coronavirus a hoax, and makes allusions to the QAnon conspiracy.

Just yesterday, before he was arrested, Casertas speculated “Is it morally legitimate to initiate violence and theft against non violent people?” Other posts ask similar questions.

In the FBI filing, one of the other men arrested, Adam Fox, reportedly reached out to a “militia.” And while it hasn’t been confirmed, on TikTok, Casertas is shown wearing a Hawaiian shirt, a signifier of the Boogaloo Boys, a militia bent on starting a second civil war.

The Boogaloo Boys are known to have a presence in Michigan. A YouTube channel advertised on Castera’s Facebook page was no longer available on Thursday. It’s unclear when the channel was taken down.

As the Daily Dot went to publish, Casertas’ page was taken offline. The Daily Dot has reached out to Facebook as to why.