Key facts
- A plot to assassinate Donald Trump and other officials at a UFC event was foiled by the DOJ.
- Eight individuals are in custody, with at least 19 people involved in the conspiracy.
- The plotters, with far-right and extremist views, planned to use drone-borne explosives and a coordinated attack.
- Many plotters met online through platforms like TikTok and encrypted messaging apps.
- Investigators noted the plotters' anger over the Trump administration's alliance with Israel and antisemitic sentiments.
The Department of Justice has announced the foiling of a plot by a far-right group to assassinate Donald Trump and other elected officials during a recent Ultimate Fighting Championship event. Eight individuals are currently in custody, with investigators indicating that at least 19 people were involved in the conspiracy, many of whom connected through online platforms like TikTok before migrating to encrypted messaging applications.
The plotters allegedly planned to create a diversion near the White House with a demonstration, then use drone-borne explosives during the UFC event. Following the chaos, they intended to attack "high-value targets" and storm the White House, with one alleged conspirator describing the plan as a "fucking bloodbath."
Despite the serious nature of the plot, its framing has been complicated by the plotters' seemingly contradictory ideologies. While holding far-right views, they reportedly used a left-wing website to identify targets and were enraged by the Trump administration's alliance with Israel. One alleged ringleader, Abraham Alvarez, is reportedly an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
Some officials, including JD Vance, have sought to downplay the plot's sophistication, while certain conservative media outlets have attempted to link the plotters to the far-left or to specific conspiracy theories. However, analysts like Michael Edison Hayden suggest the plotters were primarily anti-government and anti-elite, with antisemitic and accelerationist tendencies, viewing the Republican administration as the current embodiment of the government they opposed.
Investigators found evidence of Christian extremism and antisemitic tropes among the plotters, with some expressing beliefs about corrupt elites sacrificing children and blaming Jewish people and Israel for global conflicts. Scholar Matthew D Taylor noted an "ideological civil war" within the far-right, with some factions disillusioned with Trump's policies, particularly regarding Israel and the conflict in Gaza.