Former Congressional candidate Robert Doggart said he would like to use hand grenades in a planned militia raid against a Muslim community in New York, and he said he wished someone would kill President Barack Obama.
The testimony came in the second day of the Federal Court trial in which the Signal Mountain man is charged with interstate communication of threats.
With the lead FBI agent on the case testifying, a number of phone calls were played from the time the government had a wire tap on Doggart's phone.
Most of the calls involved a confidential source who was secretly working with the government, but was posing as one of the "gunners" ready to go on the raid at Islamburg, N.Y.
The owner of two assault-type weapons and a host of other guns said, "If I don't get 40 of them, then something's wrong with me. They will be running."
At points he said the aim was not to kill anybody, but to burn down a mosque, school and cafeteria. At other times he talked about taking many casualties and said, "We will be cruel."
He said Molotov cocktails may be used to take down the buildings, but he said, "It would be better if we had grenades."
Doggart said there would be order among the gunners - "no misbehaving, no cursing, everything's Yes Sir, No Sir."
He said each would take an oath to support the country. He said he had a Bible in his car for use in administering the oath.
Doggart said the raid was necessary because he said members of the small Muslim community were planning to poison the water supply of New York City. He said they also planned to load 40 members into vans, go into New York City, and "kill as many people as they can before they are killed."
He said the nearby town of Hancock, N.Y. had only four police officers and a volunteer fire department. He said it would likely take 35 minutes for the firefighters to arrive.
By that time, he said the raiders could leave in three different directions. He said they would lay low for a day or two, then return to their homes.
On the way he said he would likely dump his big guns and remaining ammunition into the Delaware River, though he said, "I hate to throw away $2,000 worth of equipment." He said one of the assault rifles in particular "is a beauty, but so be it."
Doggart said he would be safe in his home area, saying he was "tight" with the sheriff of Sequatchie County and its deputies.
He said he "did not want to sound racist," but he declared there was not a single minority living on Signal Mountain.
Doggart said those participating in the raid will be patriots. He noted that they might face giving up their lives. He said, "You're going to die anyway. How better to die and make your family proud."
He said it was necessary "to stop that crazy guy up in Washington." He stated, "I wish somebody would kill Obama. Just do it and get it over with."
Doggart noted that he had been in front of the White House with a bullhorn on Dec. 10, 2014, calling President Obama "a traitor and a coward."
He said he thought he could destroy the White House "with eight people and four Apache helicopters."
Doggart made references to "killing people before" and to being in the military. The FBI agent said no record was found of him killing anyone or being in the armed forces.
A recording was played of a conversation between Doggart and a woman identified as his sister in Florida. He laid out his plan for the attack on Islamburg. She mainly listened and at one point said, "That's cool."
Another conversation was with Tom Lineaweaver, who ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2014 and has considered running for national office. When Doggart laid out the raid plans to Lineaweaver he told him it was not a good idea. He said he should just let the Muslim group carrying out raids, then let people know that the government knew about the threat and did nothing.
The FBI agent said federal authorities have found no credible threat at Islamburg and the FBI works cooperatively with the religious community there.
In 2014, Doggart got over six percent of the vote, losing to incumbent Scott DesJarlais in the Fourth District. Doggart got 9,238 votes.