On April 22, TV channel Imedi (1, 2), news agencies (1, 2), and a Facebook page disseminated information claiming that the latest attempt to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump traces back to Ukraine. As the source of this information, they cite a post by Mike Benz, a former high-ranking official of the U.S. State Department, stating that the suspect in the assassination attempt appeared in a group online chat involving members of the Azov Battalion, where Trump’s assassination was allegedly discussed.
The claim that the trail of Donald Trump’s latest assassination attempt leads to Ukraine is manipulative and creates the impression that Ukraine may have been involved in the incident. In reality, the original source of this information is an X account whose credibility and expertise are questionable. Moreover, the article is based solely on the author’s assumptions and analysis of the suspect Nikita Casap’s social media activity. According to the official version of the FBI, the only connection Casap had with Ukraine was his intention to travel there after carrying out the plan.
On April 17, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation released information that 17-year-old Nikita Casap was charged with the murder of his mother and stepfather. According to the FBI, the teenager planned to assassinate President Donald Trump and overthrow the U.S. government. The killing of his family members was part of that plan. The investigation revealed that the teenager had purchased drones and explosives for the attack, communicated in Russian with like-minded individuals, and planned to go to Ukraine after executing the plan.
There have been several recent attempts to assassinate Donald Trump. During a campaign event, Trump was shot at. Misleading information and visual manipulations circulated following this incident as well. For the subsequent assassination attempt, U.S. citizen Ryan Routh was arrested. Reports also linked him to Ukraine. However, the only connection Routh had to Ukraine was that he purchased drones and believed the person he bought them from was Ukrainian.
The alleged connection between Nikita Casap and Ukraine is also questionable.
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Nikita Casap’s Ideology and Police Records
Case-related documents from the Wisconsin police contain information about Casap’s ideology and plans. Upon examining electronic devices seized from his home, authorities discovered content linked to the organization Order of Nine Angles, as well as visual materials glorifying Adolf Hitler. Investigators claim that Casap adhered to a Nazi, extremist ideology; wrote manifestos aligned with this ideology; and believed in white supremacy. His devices contained manifestos that spoke about the unacceptable rule of Jews in “white countries.”
The Order of Nine Angles is an organization established in Britain in the 1970s. It is often referred to as a “Nazi, Satanist” movement with fascist elements. The Order of Nine Angles has influenced various Nazi groups, including the Sonnenkrieg Division and the Atomwaffen Division. Numerous crimes around the world, including cases of rape and murder, have been linked to members of this organization. It is unknown whether the organization has any connection to Ukraine. As a global network, it is probable that it has members or supporters in Ukraine. However, even if there are followers of the Order of Nine Angles in Ukraine, this does not prove that Nikita Casap had any ties to the country. It is also worth noting that there are Georgian members of the organization.
The police files also mention Ukraine. In an anonymous Telegram conversation with a Ukrainian phone number, Casap said he planned to go to Ukraine after assassinating the president and asked someone with the alias “Roman Viktovich” how he could continue living in the country. According to the investigation, Casap communicated with like-minded individuals in Russian. The FBI does not mention Ukraine in any other context. Based on a witness statement, Wisconsin police noted that Casap had contact with a man of Russian origin.
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What Is the Information About Nikita Casap’s Connection to the Azov Battalion Based On?
No conclusive evidence has been released proving that Nikita Casap is in any way connected to the Azov Battalion, which operates under Ukraine’s National Guard. Mike Benz wrote about this on April 22, sharing a post by blogger Ken Silva on X. According to Silva, Nikita Casap was a member of the Telegram channel “Misanthropic Division,” which supports Azov.
In his post, Ken Silva states that the information was initially shared by an account called Bx. The account description says it writes about “Satanic murder cults.” By following the link provided in the profile, one finds that the owner of the account presents herself as an independent investigator, noting that she does not work for any media or government organization. She also has a YouTube channel with only three uploaded videos. Bx published an article about Nikita Casap on her blog on April 18. It was in it that the author first speculated about Casap’s alleged connection to Ukraine. As evidence of Casap’s link to Ukraine, Bx cites his presence in various neo-Nazi Telegram chats. For example, Bx claims the suspect was part of the Telegram channel Misanthropic Division, which, according to her, openly supports the Azov Battalion. The organization was formed in Ukraine in 2014 and had ties to the Azov. However, Ukrainian media report that tensions between the Azov Battalion and the Misanthropic Division began in 2016. The main reason was the Azov’s acceptance of Crimean Tatars, and they even accused the battalion of “collaborating with Jews.” Members of the Misanthropic Division believe their mission will be complete when Ukraine becomes independent from both Russia and the European Union.
In 2022, the American news outlet The Intercept published an article (archived) about the Misanthropic Division. Based on the available information at the time, the article stated that it was unclear whether the Misanthropic Division was a real organization, how large it was, or what its actual association with the Azov Battalion was. As an example, the article mentioned French fighter Wilfried Bleriot, who was associated with the Misanthropic Division, fought in Ukraine, and was killed. However, his death occurred in a part of Ukraine where the Azov Battalion was not active, casting doubt on the Division’s connection to Azov. This raises the possibility that the Misanthropic Division may only exist online and not be involved in actual combat. The FBI makes no mention of these types of Telegram channels.
Since 2014, some regions of Ukraine have been the site of active combat, which has created opportunities for Nazi-affiliated groups to gain real-world military experience. In recent years, several such individuals have been identified in Ukraine. For instance, in October 2020, the Ukrainian Security Service announced that it had discovered two foreign neo-Nazis who were trying to establish an international terrorist network in Ukraine and sought to acquire combat experience. Ukraine often conducts special operations to uncover such groups and their affiliates. It is also worth noting that the Azov Battalion is part of Ukraine’s National Guard and is responsible for overseeing who joins its ranks.
Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to confirm a connection between Ukraine, the Azov Battalion, and Nikita Casap. The source of this claim is an X account. The official investigation has not confirmed any involvement by the Ukrainian state or the Azov Battalion in the assassination attempt. Moreover, the Bx account relies solely on personal assumptions, and its conclusions are sometimes vague or poorly supported.
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