this is "nightline." >> tonight, on the ground, unraveling a suspected conspiracy in michigan. members of an alleged home grown hate group. accused of taking aim at the governor. >> take us back to that moment when investigate ers come to you and say, we are looking at this plot to violently kidnap you. >> new evidence appearing to show suspects planning and preparing and the inside look. why the fbi is calling this, a training ground for domestic terroris terrorists. "nightline," will be right back. you're not welcome here! get out of my face! hpv can cause certain cancers when your child grows up. get in its way. hpv can affect males and females... and there's no way to predict

who will or won't clear the virus. but you can help protect your child by taking a first step. the cdc recommends hpv vaccination at age 11 or 12 to help protect against certain cancers. hey cancer! not... my... child. don't wait... talk to your child's doctor about hpv vaccination today. it's following your passion to bto the very top... ...and setting the standard by which all who follow, will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila.

it's following your passion to bto the very top... ...and setting the standard by which all who follow, will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila. ♪ thanks for joining us, tonight we take you in to a hidden world. a place authorities say gave birth to a violent domestic tower or plot. we traveled to the state and talked to militia members that disavowed the streextremists.

this is gorgeous up here. you can buy five acres or three acres here and do whatever you want. deep woods michigan, the rural town of luther. jim has been hunting in these parts for decades. >> we are only a quarter mile back in the woods and you know what? who would know? you can do guns and explosives back here and you would never know. i'm not probably, maybe a half mile, quarter mile from here and i never knew this was here. never knew. this is like unbelievable to me. unbelievable. >> it's hear federal authorities say his neighbor took part planning a vicious plot against michigan's governor. 14 men, accused of being home grown terrorists, the ugly vitriol of the fight over

government's lockdowns and freedoms. >> more on the plot to kidnap and kill governor whitmer. >> the nib releases disturbing new details. >> hatred and bigotry have no place in the state of michigan. >> among the accused these men. charging documents allege a paramilitary plan that included storming michigan's capitol building with explosives, disguising an assassin as a pizza deliver man and talking about bombs calling them cup cakes. >>ly will take you as far as we can go. >> and inside the stunning ground, and details like

encrypted text messages. >> they had a number of paid informants. >> investigate ers come to you and say, we are looking at this plot to violently kidnap you. >> you heard about the spatch pattern and something like isis, you would not be surprised. this is happening here in the united states of america. that's domesticing terrorism. >> the michigan's governor, gretchen whitmer, the state's ever second woman governor. and the target of this group, the wolverine watchmen. as a mother, i thought immediately how do you tell your children that their mother 's life is in danger? >> we have seen the most vial things, my kids have seen it. we have had people show up on the front line with automatic rifles. i have been blunt with my kids. today i'm issuing a stay at home, stay safe executive order for all michiganders. >> at the height of the pandemic, governors across the

country shut down states. >> the stay at home order is an aggressive measure to keep the most people safe we can in michigan. it's the most aggressive of any state in the country. >> reporter: within a month, anti-lockdown demonstrations erupted outside the state's capitol. throngs of livid protesters, demanding that businesses reopen. >> doesn't matter what crisis there is, you only have the power that you have. >> a crowd even pouring in to the capitol building, engaging with in a tense standoff with a wall of law enforcement. >> we have seen paramilitary organizations appear in public in an offensive capacity, gearing up heavily armed, opposing government policies with which they the disagree. >> reporter: among the protesters, militia groups carrying automatic rifles and suited up in body armor, showing their support. >> we are here today for what

reason? >> to let people know they can assemble peacefully and not get arrested and still have a right to free speech. >> reporter: the top law enforcement officer? michigan. >> we have always had an issue with militia type organizations in michigan. but we have seen a resurgency in recent years. >> reporter: before long, the president takes aim squarely at whitmer. >> your governor has you shut down, it doesn't look it here. >> reporter: what exactly happened in terms of those threats to you after the president referred to you as that woman from michigan? >> we saw the graphic nature of threats against me and my family grow exponentially, it just it got -- it turned the heat up. >> it's a dog whistle to the unlawful, militias. they feel they have a license from the highest authority in the country. >> reporter: in april, president trump tweeted liberate minnesota, virginia and

michigan. three states with democratic governors. >> when you say liberate. that is a call to action. it's a rallying cry. and i think it a call to arms. and i think that is what it turned out to be. >> reporter: in michigan's capitol, in the backyard of the governor's mansion, the governor talked about the avalanche of threats to her life. >> people remember the pictures from the state capitol where people with weapon s were showig up and intimidating legislators and threatening me at that point. we have come to find that some of the members of this plot were at that event. >> reporter: do you think president trump gives safe harbor to the element wills of domestic terrorism? >> i think the hesitating of calling out white supremacy creates space for groups that are looking for anything to hang their hat on. >> we are one of the few state ms. the united states, where all of the states, all the top executive offices are held by women. the president of the united

states has taken time to criticize all three of us by name on twitter. >> what does it say to you? >> do i think it's mysogenistic? yeah. >> do you think she over reached on the dock lo-- on the lockdow measures? >> i think it decreased the numbers of infections and the numbers don't lie. >> there's hate and anger and resentment. there's people losing businesses and livelihood. >> reporter: michael and his wife are members of one of the oldest modern militia in michigan. they reject the violence, but defend the independent streak in their communities. >> like boy scouts with guns. >> reporter: what kind of training do you do? >> training involves, everything from land navigation, map and compass without using modern electronics. just a lot of skills that our

parents and grandparents grew up with. >> reporter: my understanding that you crossed paths with some of these alleged kidnap plotters. >> first time i was aware of them was back when the flint water crisis happened. >> reporter: when you say them, you mean these particular suspects. >> bill and mike, yeah. >> reporter: twin brothers, michael and william, this is them at that anti-lockdown protests armed with ar-15, extra ammo strapped to their chests. amir stone'ses throw from the governor's office. they are charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization. both have plead not guilty. what was your interpretation of them? >> they were like us, they were there to help their communities. they were quiet, they were not waving their rifles around or screaming. >> they could get boistrous in events. >> reporter: the brothers were fixtures at militia events and known for their behavior. allegedly finding a home with the wolverine watchman. >> the wolverine watchman had

ties to multiple other groups and it's not just a michigan problem, it's an american problem. the government releasing eight months of encrypted texts. one stating take pics of the bridge, in order to plant a bomb as a distraction. others talking about an apparent assassination, suggesting have one person go to had her house, knock on the door when she answers, just cap her. >> they are not just calling the governor a tie rent. they are talking about putting a cap in her, which is kind of, you know, a little bit like b-movie gangster talk. it's talking about shooting her had. >> this photo, taken by a government inform ant. part of the evidence released by investigators showing suspect adam fox, binoculars up. >> they went out and s-- survailed locations and looked at the summer home and went to the location allegedly to go see

what they would do. >> fox, the alleged ring leader shown in this video. drawing his weapons, a long gun and his pistol, in front of a cache of weapons and he showed off had his taser. and that here, a group appearing to run commando drills out of a vehicle. this dashcam video showing one of the suspects being pulled over during a routine traffic stop. >> you have a driver's license and proof of insurance with you? >> the fbi said he later texted the group saying he wanted to full the officers who pulled him over. as the plot against governor whitmwi whitmer made national headlines the president continued his attacks over the weekend, while visiting her home state. >> and i guess they said she was threatened. right? she was threatened. and she blamed had ed me. >> i know president trump said you owed him gratitude and you

should thank him. and then he doubled down on his criticism of you, when you reached out to the white house, can did you get any response? you know, i made this request directly to the vice president on two occasions and he acknowledged hearing my requests and, but, no action was ever taken. and i, you know, i -- that's where it ends unfortunately. it's where it began and ended. >> when we come back. >> look it right here. >> searching for answers. a glimpse inside what the fbi said was a terrorist training ground. plotting murder and mayhem had. >> me and my wife would hear gunshots. going boom, boom, boom, boom, and the night that the tiny town awoke to a federal raid. >> that night, there were so many helicopters and so many cars coming up and down the road. thing? where's my bounce? my glamour? my fire? all hair is beautiful. these dove shampoo and conditioners are custom formulated for different hair types.

find the right dove care for your hair. for bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. for 45 days. ♪ oh, oh, (announcer)®! ♪ once-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like emily lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. once-weekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ you may pay as little as $25 for a 1-month or 3-month prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®.

we saw the earthquake grace in bold was offering a grant program. i signed up and i was actually selected it leaves the house in tack. you now know that in the next earthquake your house will be standing and we also got a discount on our earthquake insurance. if there is an earthquake. our house has a better chance of surviving in.

...this one's for you. you inspired us to make your humira experience even better... with humira citrate-free. it has the same effectiveness you know and trust, but we removed the citrate buffers, there's less liquid, and a thinner needle... with less pain immediately following injection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. and you can use your co-pay card to pay as little as $5 a month. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections,... ...including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened,... ...as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common... and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections,... or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. the same humira you trust with less pain immediately following injection. if you can't afford your medicine,

abbvie may be able to help. ♪ ♪ 40 miles from the governor's mansion in lansing, munith,muni, michigan. >> the neighbor told me had that it's the first turn right before the river. so you can see the river. that's the turn. so we are really close. two people here, according to law enforcement, were part of this conspiracy to allegedly kidnap assassinate and wreak

havoc on the governor. it was here that the suspects lived in this double-wide trailer. >> the neighbors found them annoying and complained that they were shooting handguns and they are ar-15s, that's where they did target practice in the back. all the junk strewn in the backyard, target practice, a lot of signs with private and confederate flag hanging in the entry way. >> somebody is throwing something at me. >> really? >> yes. >> that was somebody there. somebody was throwing something at me. somebody threw something at our car as we were driving by. yeah, i could see him running and throwing something. my heart is now racing. >> yep. >> thankfully we got away safely, but it's no doubt a sign

of the tensions in the area. nearly three hours away, another small town would also face explosive allegations. >> this trail right here is where the practice shooting at stuff was conducted. i'm going to take a ride down here and we will see how far i can drive. >> for nearly 20 years jim has called this wooded area in luther, michigan, home. but what he never knew was that he was living next door to a suspected militant extremist. >> there were many times that me and my wife would hear gunshots and it sounded like automatic weapons. you could hold a trigger and it goes -- and i heard that, and i have is heard explosives going off. >> he lives lesses than a mile from 25-year-old ty garbin, one of those arrested in the

authorities say they did combat drills and refined the plan to kid map the governor here. >> with this as far as the compound they were shooting at. look at the back. look at the targets. this is pretty amazing. even to merks it's dumb founding. it's dumbfounding to see this. >> the town was startled awake at 2:30 in the morning by an fbi raid on this property. >> that night, there were so many helicopters, with spotlight on it. so many cars coming up and down the road. and the cars coming down there, they had blacked out windows and suvs and stuff like that. and we don't normally see that. so that's not normal here. >> his adopted hometown, a quiet place to enjoy the outdoors. now, shattered by an alleged hate group. >> you said you are not afraid. >> i'm not afraid. i grew up in the city of detroit. i'm a little more careful now than what i used to be absolutely. >> there are a lot of neighbors

who told us that they heard munitions go off, handbeguguns well as explosives. what explains there's this much munitions involved in your client's property? >> while i may not agree with it and something that i would want to do. it's protected activity under the second amendment. >> a former fbi agent is defending garbin, charged with federal crimes and kidnapping. he is pleading not guilty. he comes from a good family, military family, no military history. is he a threat to the community? >> no, absolutely not. >> your client is accused of not just attending the training drills but of attempting to make an ied. >> i'm not sure that will be born out by the evidence. i think the person that was making those, they were really fireworks in a balloon was not

my client. and if anything, my client took steps to tell them, what are you doing? there's people around here. you need to be safe with this. >> what really happened here, still a matter of debate. but it seems as the election nears the toxic rhetoric continues to have an impact. >> law enforcement has to take seriously preparation for the possibility of armed activity at the polls in a way that could be a very intimidating thing to voters or in the after math of the election, including after a winner is declared. >> but most locals in the rural slice of michigan still believe that elections matter and want others to trust in it as well. >> just because you don't agree with somebody, then don't vote for them. don't go plan to kidnap and kill them and done whatever you want to do. that's not the way to do it. okay. that's not the american way. we will be right back with a final note. ♪

not much, how about you? are you answering my text in person? i am, yeah. lol come on in. this is tech that helps you be there. the nissan altima now offering the most tech-advanced engine in its class let's be honest. quitting smoking is hard. like, quitting every monday hard. quitting feels so big. so try making it smaller, and you'll be surprised at how easily starting small can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette. starting small can lead to something big. struggling to clean tough messes with wipes? try mr. clean magic eraser sheets. just wet, squeeze and erase icky messes in microwaves and on stovetops for an amazing clean, get the power of mr. clean magic eraser in disposable sheets.

a blast of immune support and the confidence to take on the day. that's why airborne is the only #1 pharmacist recommended immune support brand. airborne. your daily dose of confidence. when your underarmso your are cared for? ♪ it shows! our new dove advanced care formula is effective... and kind to skin, leaving underarms cared for and you... more confident and carefree.

in business you have to be then do it all over again. comcast business gives you fast, reliable internet on the nation's largest gig-speed network. and now for a limited time, you can also get fast shipping- with amazon business prime essentials. so no matter what comes next, you'll always be ready to bounce forward. get started with powerful internet and voice for $64.90 a month, and ask how you can get

one free year of amazon busines prime essentials on us. call or go online today. comcast business. wean air force veteran made of doing what's right,. not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it - with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa

♪ and that's "nightline," you can find our full episodes on

hulu, we will see you back here tomorrow at the same time, thanks for staying up with us, good night, america. but i can't say i expected this. because it was easy. to fight these fires, we need funding - plain and simple. for this crisis, and for the next one. prop 15 closes tax loopholes so rich corporations pay their fair share of taxes. so firefighters like me, have what we need to do the job, and to do it right. the big corporations want to keep their tax loopholes. it's what they do. well, i do what i do.