EXCLUSIVE: Individual targeted in foiled UFC terror plot speaks out

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(The Center Square) – One of the targets in the alleged terror plot to disrupt the Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the White House says he is not intimidated by extremist threats.

Federal intelligence agents discovered the plot and arrested five suspects they believe to be involved before the Sunday event took place. The group’s plan involved using drones bearing explosives to hit buildings near the event, prompting a mass evacuation that would steer crowds toward a group of snipers, authorities allege.

The alleged “team leader” in the group, 19-year-old Tycene Proper, had singled out specific politicians as targets due to their support of Israel, authorities allege.

One of those seven targets, all of whom are Republican lawmakers, was whistleblower advocate and West Virginia House Delegate Tristan Leavitt.

Leavitt, who did not attend the UFC fight, told The Center Square in an interview on The States that it was “very odd” to see his name included in the federal investigators’ affidavits. Though unsure why he was allegedly targeted, he assumes that his support of Israel is one factor.

“That’s become a very divisive topic, but something that I think is important for everybody to try and understand better,” Leavitt said. “When I had the chance to actually read the complaint it was interesting to see the other conspiracies these plotters were dialed into, about things like Jeffrey Epstein or data centers taking all of the available water.”

Federal agents who questioned the suspects noted in court documents that the murder plot “appears to have been motivated by their anti-government ideology,” with the conspirators mentioning hating “billionaires” and “capitalist elites.”

“I think the biggest takeaway that I had was that we have both an information problem in our country as well as a real problem with people who have policy disagreements wanting to solve those through potential violence,” Leavitt added.

The foiled terror plot follows two other major instances of politically motivated attacks or attempted attacks in 2026 alone.

A security incident at Mar-a-Lago where Secret Service agents shot and killed a suspected assassin occurred in late February, while the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in late April was interrupted by a shooter, now in custody, who also is accused of targeting President Donald Trump.

Leavitt believes that local-level conversations among people who disagree are critical to lowering the political temperature in America’s politically segmented society.

“So many people tend to get their news just from groups that agree with them. And so it makes it hard when misinformation is passed along, but especially when people aren't associating with others who have different views,” Leavitt told The Center Square. “Having those conversations with people is really critical, because we don’t do enough of that today in our society.”

In the meantime, Leavitt said he will not back down from his political stances on Israel or any other issues. He argued that doing so “lets terrorists win, frankly.”

"I’m not unaccustomed to controversy,” the lawmaker added. “I think it’s important not to change the policy stances or the speaking up or anything else. If you think something is right, I think it’s important to stand firm for those things and not be intimidated or cowed.”