One day before Donald Trump’s remarkable election win, a 25-year-old man from Michigan was apprehended by federal authorities. The arrest followed alleged online threats made by the man against conservative Christians and the ex-president.
On November 5, 2024, Isaac Sissel, a resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was charged with sending a threatening communication and taken into custody. This incident occurred just a day prior to Trump’s extraordinary electoral victory against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The investigation started in September when Reddit alerted authorities about suspicious activity tied to accounts associated with Sissel’s IP address at the University of Michigan campus. The usernames of these accounts hinted at violence towards supporters of Trump.
An anonymous online submission was received by the FBI National Threat Operations Center on November 2, which was later attributed to Sissel. The submitted message contained threats of violence against conservative Christians in the event of Trump’s election win. It also mentioned possession of a stolen AR-15 rifle.
Sissel was found by FBI agents at a hotel in Canton, Michigan. He voluntarily agreed to a search of his room. Though no weapons were discovered at the hotel, Sissel allegedly informed the investigators about a firearm he had stolen from a vehicle and hidden elsewhere.
The arrest took place amidst a nationwide atmosphere of heightened tension as authorities were dealing with multiple election-related threats across numerous states.
Trump’s victory on November 6 signified an extraordinary political comeback, overcoming numerous legal obstacles to regain the presidency. Early analysis indicates Trump improved his vote share in over 90% of counties compared to the 2020 election.
Vice President Harris acknowledged the election results in a speech at Howard University on Wednesday, urging unity and acceptance of the outcome.
During interrogation, Sissel displayed hostility towards Trump, labeling him as hazardous and stating that he would deem it his “duty” to abstain from intervention if there were plans to assassinate the former president.
Investigations revealed that Sissel had previous run-ins with law enforcement, including instances of stalking and harassment. Records showed that Sissel had lived in multiple states, like Washington and New York, without a permanent address.
The FBI’s Detroit Field Office is overseeing the case as part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which was established in 2021 to address threats against election workers and ensure election security. Sissel made his appearance in federal court on Tuesday afternoon, with a detention hearing set for Thursday.
