The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 10.8 Violent Domestic Terrorist Attack Thwarted In Michigan! Kidnapping & Coup Plans Revealed

Episode Date: October 8, 2020

Shoutout to Keeps! Go to https://www.keeps.com/defranco to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment.  Only 4 days left to snag yours! http://ShopDeFranco.com WATCH my podcast with Jon Cozart: https://youtu.be/ibHoyBkB-pY Follow me off of Youtube: https://linktr.ee/PhilipDeFranco -- Voting Resources:  http://Vote.org https://www.axios.com/how-to-vote-by-state-2020-307c3d17-ee57-4a1b-8bad-182ca1cdb752.html https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/how-to-vote-2020/ https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/  -- 00:00 - FBI Thwarts Planned Kidnap of Michigan Governor 04:29 - TIA 06:17 - DOJ Eases Long Standing Prosecutor Restrictions -- WATCH Full “A Convo With” Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/ACW  LISTEN On The Podcast Platform Of Your Choice: http://LinksHole.com WATCH the ACW Clips channel!: https://youtube.com/ACWClips ✩ SUPPORT THE SHOW ✩ ✭ BUY our GEAR, Support the Show!: http://ShopDeFranco.com ✭ Lemme Touch Your Hair: http://BeautifulBastard.com ✭ Paid Subscription: http://DeFrancoElite.com  ✩ TODAY IN AWESOME ✩ ✭ Jon Cozart on ACW: https://youtu.be/ibHoyBkB-pY ✭ If Trump was in Hamilton: https://youtu.be/B150cFOYPb8 ✭ Gordon Ramsay Critiques Fan's TikTok Recipes: https://youtu.be/G1cNvPyi-DY ✭ Unsolved Mysteries Volume 2 | Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/uaBJc1XZ8nU ✭ Ronda Rousey Splits Bones While Eating Spicy Wings: https://youtu.be/UZfKIE0m4vQ ✭ Explaining the Pandemic to my Past Self Part 3: https://youtu.be/Pbdk_lBCxJk ✭ Spider-Man 3 Adds Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange: https://www.ign.com/articles/spider-man-3-doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-tom-holland ✭ Secret Link: https://youtu.be/xougcZ9_wSw ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩  13 Charged in Gov. Whitmer Kidnapping Plot: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/08/governor-gretchen-whitmer-kidnap-plot-militia/5921409002/ DOJ Weakens Long Standing Election Investigation Policy: https://www.propublica.org/article/doj-frees-federal-prosecutors-to-take-steps-that-could-interfere-with-elections-weakening-long-standing-policy ✩ STORIES NOT IN TODAY’S SHOW ✩ Pence and Harris Leave Questions Unanswered in VP Debate, Fly Becomes Star of the Show: https://roguerocket.com/2020/10/08/pence-harris-fly/ Microsoft Takes a Shot at Apple, Says App Stores Should Be More Competitive: https://roguerocket.com/2020/10/08/microsoft-app-store/ What Are These Celebs Doing for Ballot PSA??: https://roguerocket.com/2020/10/08/celebrities-ballot-psa/ ——————————     Edited by: James Girardier, Julie Goldberg, Maxx Enright Produced by: Amanda Morones Art Director: Brian Borst  Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Cory Ray, Neena Pesqueda, Brian Espinoza Production Team: Zack Taylor, Luke Manning  ———————————— #DeFranco #GretchenWhitmer #2020Election Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sup, you beautiful bastards. Hope you've had a fantastic Thursday. Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. And a quick note before we get started, there are now only five days left if you wanna jump in on the October drop. I've got those brand new one day will all be skeletons, premium shirts, and hoodies.

Those fantastic Adams don't be stupid, stupid masks, much more, all available once again, only for five more days over at shopdefranco.com. But with that said, welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. Buckle up, hit that like button, and let's just jump into it. And first up in, oh my God,

is this where we are as a country? Apparently it is because I'm talking about it, news. We got the news today that six people have been charged for plotting to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, with this being something that we learned thanks to an unsealed FBI affidavit. That affidavit explaining that of the six,

two of those men allegedly attended a gathering in Ohio with 13 other men. This reportedly to create a society that followed the US Bill of Rights in an effort to be self-sufficient. During that meeting, those men allegedly discussed ways to achieve this through violent means with the FBI writing. Several members talked about murdering tyrants

or taking a sitting governor. The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encourage each other to talk to their neighbors and spread their message. One of those men then goes back home to Michigan and reaches out to a militia group in the state with the FBI noting that he, quote, "'Needed 200 men to storm the Capitol building

"'in Lansing, Michigan and take hostages, "'including the governor.'" Going on to explain that the man would then try the governor of Michigan for treason, and he said that he would execute the plan before the November 2020 elections. Another plan involved attacking a Michigan state police facility

and also shooting up the governor's vacation home where she would be kidnapped and taken to Wisconsin for what they called a trial, a plan that the FBI says that they have all on tape with one of the men reportedly saying snatch and grab man, grab the fucking governor, just grab the bitch. Because at that point we do that dude, it's over. Authorities also found that surveillance was conducted

on her vacation home on two occasions. And as far as how the FBI even learned of this plan, they first became aware of it in early 2020, with a complaint saying that they used confidential sources and then employed undercover agents to go to militia meetings over several months. There, it even noted that the group had held field training exercises in remote areas,

engaging in firearms training and tactical drills. Earlier this month, they also bought an 800,000 volt taser to use in the kidnapping. Also, in addition to the six men facing federal charges, we've seen the Michigan Attorney General announcing state charges for seven more people, with those seven reportedly being charged under the state's anti-terrorism laws

for allegedly targeting police in the state capitol. Now, with the release of this news, we saw Republican State Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirky, who has repeatedly clashed with Whitmer over politics say a threat against our governor is a threat Against us all we condemn those who plotted against her and our government. They are not patriots There is no honor in their actions They are criminals and traitors and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law There has also been a ton of criticism against President Trump here something he faced in the past when he initially tweeted it

But now also a lot now given the news that we're seeing and he in the past when he initially tweeted it, but now also a lot now, given the news that we're seeing. He in the past tweeted, liberate Michigan. And among the people criticizing Trump, you even had Whitmer herself, who said at a press conference today that Trump had repeatedly stoked distrust. Also referring back to his stand back and stand by comment at last week's presidential debate and adding,

when our leaders speak, their words matter. They carry weight. When our leaders meet with, encourage, or fraternize with domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions and they are complicit. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit. At the press conference, you also had Whitmer calling for unity, especially against COVID-19, since many of her policies regarding the pandemic have been controversial in the state. We are not one another's enemy.

This virus is our enemy. And this enemy is relentless. It doesn't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat, young or old, rich or poor. It doesn't care if we're tired of it. It threatens us all. But ultimately that is where we are with this story. And I mean, as far as my reaction to it,

I mean, this is incredibly concerning. What kind of horror show would we have witnessed had it not been for the actions of authorities here? You know, there's been a lot of focus on the word plot, militia, but I mean, let's call this what it is. If you are a group of people who are planning to attack the Capitol, you are planning to kidnap

and most likely execute a governor. The people involved in that plot sounds like a terror group. I mean, we're talking about domestic terrorism here. You know, having done this job for so long, I know that this story, it's gonna be out of the headlines very soon. That's just what naturally happens with stories about thwarted attacks rather than successful attacks.

But please don't let that take away from what a serious matter this is. But with all that said, of course, with this story, I really would love to know your thoughts on this. And then, you know, let's talk about the massive news involving the Department of Justice and Elections. Right, so yesterday, ProPublica reported that the DOJ had weakened a 40-year-old rule

that prohibited certain interference in elections. And specifically under that policy, federal prosecutors have been told for decades not to publicly announce election fraud investigations or take public steps like launching arrests or raids in the months before an election. This because these kinds of actions could depress voter turnout

or erode public confidence in election results ahead of the election and thus sway the outcome. Right, and we saw why the DOJ doesn't like to have election-related investigations publicized close to an election when FBI Director Comey did just that in 2016. You got a ton of heat from both sides with one of the biggest complaints being

that it undermined the election. Right, as the most recent official DOJ handbook for federal prosecution of election offenses explicitly says, starting a public investigation before the election ends runs the obvious risk of chilling legitimate voting and campaign activities. It also runs a significant risk of interjecting the investigation itself as an issue,

both in the campaign and in the adjudication of any ensuing election contest. But now, Trump's DOJ under Bill Barr is rolling back that longstanding policy. This because of an email that was initially reported by ProPublica, but has since also been accessed by other outlets. And that email, which ProPublica says was sent last Friday

by an official in the DOJ's public integrity section to a group of prosecutors specifically outlines an exception to the general non-interference with elections policy. And under that exception, federal prosecutors can now take public investigative actions before an election is over if they suspect election fraud has occurred that involves postal workers or military employees.

Now, notably, DOJ officials told ProPublica that the exception is written in a way that it could cover other types of investigations. But the fact that it's specifically singled out postal workers and defense employees who play a role in delivering military ballots is incredibly significant. As we've talked about many times before,

both are groups that Trump has repeatedly claimed were susceptible to fraud and will result in a rigged election. And even though pretty much every expert has said that is not true, Attorney General Bill Barr has also backed Trump in those false claims. Barr himself has even literally admitted that he does not have any empirical evidence

that mail-in ballots would lead to mass voter fraud, but instead pointing to what he called common sense as evidence for his widely debunked claims. And I think the obvious counter to those claims is that I think the common sense tells you to look at the massive amounts of empirical evidence. Right, and so with all of this, that's why you have so many experts concerned now

that Barr's going to use this exemption to a decades-long DOJ policy to bolster those false claims, thus helping Trump's reelection chances by undermining public confidence in both the electoral system as well as the outcome itself as a whole. And as Joyce Vance, a former US attorney in Alabama explained the DOJ could use this move to,

build a narrative despite the absence of any evidence of fraud in mail-in voting so Trump can challenge the election results if he loses. They've told us this is their strategy and we're watching them implement it. That was also echoed by Justin Levitt, a former official in the Justice Department Civil Rights Division who worked on voting issues who said,

"'It's not good to have an exemption "'from a non-interference in elections policy. "'That means here are the ways we are allowed "'to interfere in elections. "'I worry that this policy is a green light "'to use federal law enforcement investigations "'for partisan political purposes.'" Now, all of that said,

we've seen Justice Department officials pushing back against this claim that the decision was politically motivated. In a statement to the media, DOJ spokesperson Matt Lloyd said, "'Career prosecutors in the public integrity section "'of the department's criminal division "'routinely send out guidance to the field

"'during election season. "'This email was simply part of that ongoing process "'of providing routine guidance "'regarding election-related matters. "'No political appointee had any role in directing, "'preparing, or sending this email. With the department officials also telling reporters that the email was not intended to reflect a policy change,

but rather to highlight certain exceptions to that policy that already existed. But notably there are tons of election experts, career prosecutors and other former DOJ officials have called that bullshit. For example, former federal prosecutor Ann Milgram saying, "'This is anything but routine. "'DOJ has not in the history that I have known

relaxed any rule in a way like this. It is giving a green light to impact the election.'" Others calling it not normal, also pointing to the fact that avoiding election interference has been a long held overarching tradition with the DOJ. I mean, that's even something that Barr himself reiterated in guidance that he issued back in May. "'The partisan politics need to stay out

of the decisions made by prosecutors regarding investigations.'" And even adding that, "'O that officials may never select the timing of any investigative actions that could purposefully impact the election or give one candidate or party an advantage over another. But regarding that specifically, numerous experts have also speculated

that part of the reasoning behind this new change is to justify a widely criticized announcement made by Barr and the DOJ a few weeks ago. One which appeared to violate those very same guidelines that Barr himself issued. Right, and in there, in an incredibly unusual decision, we saw the DOJ a few weeks ago. One which appeared to violate those very same guidelines that Barr himself issued. Ran in there in an incredibly unusual decision, we saw the DOJ break with longstanding policy and publicly announced that they were investigating

whether local elections officials in Pennsylvania had illegally discarded nine mail-in military ballots. Seven of which the agency said were cast for Trump. Now that announcement itself, and especially the decision to include the part of seven ballots being cast for Trump was condemned by tons of experts. Who said not only did this go against Barr's own guidance,

but it was also totally irrelevant to the investigation and it specifically helped feed Trump's baseless attacks on mail-in voting. That Pennsylvania example, it's something that Trump's repeatedly used to fuel his false claims that the system is riddled with fraud. This despite the fact that the state's top election official

later said that the early indications have shown that the incident was a bad error and not intentional fraud. And the combination of Trump using this incident, the DOJ announcing it, also how they announced it, it sparked a ton of concern over the DOJ using its power to help Trump. Especially because at that time, it was reported that Barr himself had personally told Trump

about the incident before the DOJ made the announcement. And it was actually Trump who first mentioned the Pennsylvania ballots during a media interview, with the DOJ then issuing their highly unusual release later. But of course, on the other side, during a media interview with the DOJ then issuing their highly unusual release later. But of course, on the other side, you also had people saying the DOJ changing this guidance is just part of the preparations

for the record number of mail-in ballots that we're expecting to see this election. Like for example, Luke Cass, a former senior trial attorney in the DOJ's public integrity section who said, "'They want to make it clear "'they're not going to tolerate any sort of fraud "'in making sure those votes are counted.'"

But here you also have to look at the intent behind this and what Barr and Trump could gain. And I mean, on that note, already it seems like this policy is starting to go into effect because just yesterday you had the DOJ announcing that the US attorney in New Jersey had arrested a USPS mail carrier

for discarding thousands of pieces of mail, which also ended up including 99 general election ballots sent from the County Board of Elections. And honestly, when you look at the situation, there is no reason to think that this email, that this change of policy is gonna be used to justify things in the past. Rather, I find myself agreeing with something that Levitt,

right, the former DOJ civil rights division expert, what he said, it makes me think that what's coming is a series of announced investigations or partial theories of incomplete facts pertaining to the mail-in voting process that are further designed to undermine the integrity of an election process that is actually quite secure. Right, or in other words, Donald Trump continuing

to weaponize the DOJ, but in this avenue as a propaganda arm. Yeah, that's the story, some of my opinion. We'll have to wait to see what happens next with the DOJ. Keep in mind what may be coming. But also with that said, I would love to know your thoughts on this story. And that is where I'm going to end today's show.

As always, thank you for being a part of these daily dives in the news. If you're new here, join the family, hit that subscribe button. Hey, maybe even text me at 813-213-4423. But with that said, of course, as always, my name is Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in.

I love yo faces and I'll see you next time.