Federal Agents: Man, 19, Accused of Plotting To 'Save Bernie' by Killing Biden
A man who appeared to support Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is accused of plotting to assassinate Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden earlier this year.
Authorities are accusing Alexander Hillel Treisman, 19, of a plot to kill the former vice president involving guns and explosives.
Tresiman, who is reported to be from Washington state, has been in custody ever since he was arrested in May on charges unrelated to the alleged Biden plot.
Police in Kannapolis, North Carolina, arrested Treisman for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon after discovering his van in the parking lot of a bank.
Here is the mugshot police took of Alexander Treisman after they arrested him. He was initially arrested on a state charge of carrying a concealed weapon. He now remains in federal custody — but still not charged with plotting to kill Joe Biden https://t.co/P4RAY7KouF pic.twitter.com/v2tGZ8JgDJ
— Nick Ochsner (@NickOchsnerWBTV) October 22, 2020
A court document obtained by WBTV describes what police said they found when they looked into the van.
“Through the windows, KPD officers observed an AR-15 style rifle, a box for a Taurus .380 handgun, a cannister of the explosive material Tannerite, and a box of 5.56 caliber ammunition,” federal Judge Joe Webster wrote earlier this month, citing testimony of FBI Special Agent Aaron Seres, in announcing his decision to keep Tresiman behind bars.
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“Treisman quickly became the target of a Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF) investigation which included agents from multiple field offices around the country,” according to The Daily Beast.
Authorities said that during their investigation, they found child pornography on the man’s phone and other devices.
But Tresiman’s electronic devices reportedly unearthed other disturbing files, including online research about the alleged Biden assassination plot.
According to the judge, federal prosecutors proffered a “timeline of internet searches conducted by Defendant between March and May 2020 seeking information about Joe Biden’s home address, state gun laws, rifle parts, and night vision goggles, along with actions taken by Defendant, including posting the above mentioned meme about killing Joe Biden, purchasing an AR-15 in New Hampshire, traveling to a Wendy’s within 4 miles of Joe Biden’s home, and writing a checklist note ending with ‘execute.'”
The report of Treisman’s alleged plot against Biden led some on social media to connect the young man to President Donald Trump:
Trump seems to have a type
Rittenhouse: Treisman: pic.twitter.com/a3SDjQ5Kb8
— The Ghost of George Conway (@gtconway3dg) October 22, 2020
Very fine people for trump! Alexander Hillel Treisman, 19, was found with a trove of guns and more than 6,000 images of child porn. He also researched plans to kill Joe Biden, authorities said. https://t.co/XMm1nZgb1t via @HuffPostPol
— Demforever (@rath_22) October 23, 2020
This is what Donald J. Trump’s rhetoric has caused – Alexander Hillel Treisman who had already been arrested by the FBI on child pornography charges. Now it’s come to light that the MAGA fanatic may have also been plotting to assasinate @JoeBiden https://t.co/7F7ldjHr0p
— Clyde B ?? ? ⚓️ (@jbcb189) October 22, 2020
But a subsequent report seemed to ruled that connection out.
Reporting from the The Washington Post suggests that Treisman was a supporter of Sanders’ presidential candidacy, and that he grew upset when it was clear Biden would become the Democratic nominee.
The newspaper reported, “Days after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign, Treisman, who had suggested in a Reddit post that he had to ‘save bernie,’ posted a meme with the caption questioning whether he should kill Biden.”
“[S]hould I kill joe biden?” the post allegedly read.
According to The Daily Beast, which cited a search warrant application, Treisman’s “save bernie” comment was actually made on the social media platform iFunny.
“My hatred is for the complacent American people who will turn u in for their own satisfaction. But aside from former goals, my eyes on the future. If anything I have to save bernie,” he reportedly told another user. Investigators determined he was referring to Sanders, the outlet added.
The Post, meanwhile, did not divulge to readers that Treisman seemed to support Sanders until the article’s 15th paragraph.
The newspaper was heavily criticized online for the way it framed its reporting:
Paragraph 15. https://t.co/v4ste3ugph
— Relax, I didn’t vote for the guy you hate (@jtLOL) October 23, 2020
I didn’t get why this wasn’t newsier until:
“Days after Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his…campaign, Treisman, who had suggested in a Reddit post that he had to “save bernie,” posted a meme with the caption questioning whether he should kill Biden.”https://t.co/H3e4JEQRqa
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) October 23, 2020
I didn’t get why this wasn’t newsier until:
“Days after Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his…campaign, Treisman, who had suggested in a Reddit post that he had to “save bernie,” posted a meme with the caption questioning whether he should kill Biden.”https://t.co/H3e4JEQRqa
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) October 23, 2020
According to the evidence presented to the court, Treisman’s van also contained other suspicious items, such as more than $500,000 in cash from an “inheritance,” additional guns, and drawings of swastikas and airplanes being crashed into buildings.
Authorities said they also found literature about survival, Islam and making explosives.
Treisman, who has reportedly been diagnosed with Aspberger’s syndrome, has not been charged with any crimes related to the alleged Biden plot, and is currently jailed on the child pornography charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
