A Michigan man was taken into custody by federal authorities a day prior to the historic victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election. The 25-year-old, identified as Isaac Sissel, is alleged to have made online threats against conservative Christians and the former president.
Sissel, a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was arrested on November 5, 2024, and is facing charges of sending a threatening communication. This event occurred just before Trump achieved a significant comeback victory against Vice President Kamala Harris in the election.
The investigation into Sissel’s actions started in September when Reddit flagged suspicious activity from accounts that were linked to Sissel’s IP address on the University of Michigan campus. These accounts bore names that alluded to violence against supporters of Trump.
The FBI National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous online submission on November 2, which was later traced back to Sissel. The message contained threats of violence against conservative Christians if Trump were to win the election, and it mentioned the possession of a stolen AR-15 rifle.
Sissel was found by FBI agents at a hotel in Canton, Michigan. He agreed to a search of his room, but no weapons were discovered. However, Sissel is alleged to have informed investigators that he had concealed a firearm stolen from a vehicle.
The arrest was made amidst rising tensions across the country, as authorities responded to various election-related threats in several states. Trump’s victory on November 6 was a remarkable political resurgence, overcoming numerous legal challenges to secure the presidency. Early analysis reveals that the former president improved his performance in over 90% of counties compared to the 2020 election.
Vice President Harris conceded the race in a speech at Howard University, appealing for unity and acceptance of the election results. During questioning, Sissel expressed strong dislike for Trump, labeling him dangerous and stating that if anyone planned to assassinate the former president, he would view it as his “duty” not to interfere.
Investigations revealed that Sissel had past run-ins with the law, including incidents of stalking and harassment. He had resided in various states such as Washington and New York, with no permanent address. The case is now being managed by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office as part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, set up in 2021 to tackle threats against election workers and maintain election security. Sissel made his appearance in federal court on Tuesday afternoon, November 5, with a detention hearing set for Thursday.