A 25-year-old man from Michigan was apprehended by federal authorities just days before Donald Trump’s historic election win. Isaac Sissel, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, allegedly issued threats online against conservative Christians and the former president.
Sissel was arrested on November 5, 2024, and charged with issuing a threatening communication. The arrest occurred two days before Trump achieved a remarkable victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
The probe started in September when Reddit detected suspicious activity from accounts tied to Sissel’s IP address at the University of Michigan. The accounts bore names suggesting violence against Trump’s supporters.
The FBI National Threat Operations Center received an anonymous online message that was later traced back to Sissel on November 2. The message contained threats of violence against conservative Christians in the event of Trump’s election win and mentioned possession of a stolen AR-15 rifle.
FBI agents found Sissel in a hotel in Canton, Michigan. Although no weapons were discovered in his hotel room, Sissel reportedly confessed to the agents that he had concealed a stolen firearm.
His arrest came at a time of increased national tension, as authorities were dealing with numerous election-related threats in various states.
Trump’s election win on November 6 marked a significant political comeback, as he won against numerous legal challenges. Preliminary analysis shows that the former president improved his performance in over 90% of counties compared with the 2020 election.
Vice President Harris conceded the election in a speech at Howard University on Wednesday, urging unity and acceptance of the election results.
During interrogation, Sissel expressed hostility towards Trump, labeling him as dangerous. He stated that if someone intended to assassinate the former president, he would regard it as his “duty” not to stop them.
Investigators found that Sissel had past run-ins with the law, including incidents of stalking and harassment. Records reveal that he had resided in various states, such as Washington and New York, without a permanent address.
The FBI’s Detroit Field Office is managing the case as part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. This task force was established in 2021 to deal with threats against election workers and to ensure election security. Sissel made an appearance in federal court on Tuesday afternoon, with a detention hearing on Thursday.