In October 2008, just weeks before the presidential election, federal authorities uncovered and disrupted a violent plot by two white supremacists who planned a racially motivated killing spree culminating in the assassination of then-Senator Barack Obama. The men, both neo-Nazi sympathizers, had stockpiled weapons and planned to murder dozens of Black Americans before targeting Obama—who was on the verge of becoming the nation’s first Black president. The plot was foiled before it could be enacted, but it underscored the persistent threat of racially motivated domestic terrorism and the heightened danger surrounding Obama’s historic candidacy.
Political and Social Context
Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was a watershed moment in American history. As the first Black nominee of a major political party, his candidacy symbolized progress in the long struggle for racial equality. But it also inflamed racist and extremist groups who viewed his rise as a direct threat to white supremacy.
At the same time, the United States was in the throes of economic crisis, with unemployment rising and banks collapsing. Fear, frustration, and racial tensions were rising in many quarters. Hate groups, long marginalized, found new energy online and among fringe political circles.
The Secret Service and federal law enforcement were acutely aware that Obama’s campaign posed a unique security challenge. Threat levels were high throughout the election year, with an unprecedented number of death threats reported against him.
The Plot
The would-be assassins were Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tennessee, and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. Both were self-identified white supremacists with ties to neo-Nazi ideology. They met online through racist forums and began communicating about a plan to ignite a race war.
Their goal: to kill as many Black Americans as possible—starting with a mass shooting at a predominantly Black high school—and ultimately to assassinate Barack Obama. Their plot included wearing white tuxedos and top hats during the assassination attempt as a twisted symbolic gesture.
The two had acquired firearms and were plotting a cross-country trip to carry out the attack, beginning in the South and ending with a suicide mission against Obama.
Timeline
October 20–21, 2008: ATF agents receive a tip from confidential sources about a potential racially motivated attack.
October 22, 2008: Cowart and Schlesselman are placed under surveillance.
October 23, 2008: Cowart is arrested in Tennessee after making threats and revealing parts of the plan to an informant.
October 24, 2008: Schlesselman is arrested in Arkansas. Firearms and Nazi paraphernalia are seized from both suspects.
October 27, 2008: The Department of Justice announces the arrests and details of the plot.
November 4, 2008: Despite the threat, Barack Obama is elected the 44th President of the United States.
The Assassination Attempt
Though no shots were fired and the plot never moved past the planning stages, the seriousness of the threat was undeniable. The men had collected firearms, scoped out targets, and made a written and verbal commitment to kill 88 Black people—“88” being a common neo-Nazi code for “Heil Hitler.”
Their plan to assassinate Obama involved driving to a campaign event and shooting him from a distance before killing themselves in a final act of racist defiance. The assassination was to be the climax of their rampage.
ATF agents, acting swiftly on intelligence, intercepted the men before they could carry out any part of the plan.
Immediate Aftermath
The plot’s exposure drew national headlines but was quickly overshadowed by the ongoing presidential campaign. Obama did not publicly comment on the incident, and his campaign expressed full confidence in the Secret Service.
Federal authorities emphasized that while the plot was crude and unlikely to succeed due to the assassins’ lack of sophistication, the intent and ideology behind it were deeply disturbing. The arrests reaffirmed fears that Obama’s candidacy was a focal point for violent extremists.
Security around Obama, already tight, was intensified as Election Day neared.
Investigation and Arrests
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation. Cowart and Schlesselman were arrested separately and charged with a variety of federal crimes, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, interstate threats, and illegal possession of firearms.
Searches of their homes and vehicles uncovered firearms, ammunition, camouflage gear, and Nazi-themed writings and drawings. In interviews with investigators, both men admitted their intent to kill Obama and expressed no remorse.
The investigation confirmed that they had not yet traveled beyond the planning phase, but had acquired the means and expressed a clear intent to act.
Trial and Legal Proceedings
Both Cowart and Schlesselman were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2008. They pled guilty in 2010 as part of plea agreements with federal prosecutors.
- Paul Schlesselman was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
- Daniel Cowart received a 14-year sentence after cooperating more extensively with authorities and pleading guilty to multiple charges, including making threats against a major presidential candidate.
The sentences reflected both the seriousness of their intent and the early stage of the plot when it was disrupted. The court acknowledged that while the plan was unlikely to succeed, it was a clear case of attempted domestic terrorism fueled by white supremacist hate.
Punishments and Legacy of the Conspirators
Cowart and Schlesselman were both incarcerated in federal prisons under tight restrictions. Their convictions served as a warning about the continued threat posed by far-right extremists, particularly young men radicalized online.
Though their plan never came close to execution, their case was among the first publicly acknowledged assassination threats against Barack Obama. It underscored the real and present danger posed by racial hatred in modern America.
Their legacy is a sobering reminder that even fringe ideologies can inspire deadly intent—and that vigilance, informant networks, and rapid law enforcement action remain essential.
Long-Term Impact on the Nation
The 2008 Obama plot became an early marker of a broader trend: the resurgence of white supremacist violence in the 21st century. In the years that followed, the Department of Homeland Security and FBI shifted more resources to monitor domestic terrorism, particularly involving race-based hate groups.
The plot also reinforced the importance of robust protection for presidential candidates—especially barrier-breaking ones like Obama. The Secret Service, already stretched during a historic campaign, received additional funding and expanded threat-assessment teams.
Most importantly, the case highlighted the need for vigilance against lone-wolf attackers inspired by extremist ideologies rather than foreign enemies. The threat was domestic—and it was growing.
Controversies and Conspiracy Theories
While no credible conspiracy theories arose from the 2008 plot, some critics argued that the media underplayed the story to avoid stoking public fear or giving white supremacists notoriety. Others questioned how two individuals with known extremist views had access to firearms and were able to plot for weeks before detection.
However, law enforcement agencies received widespread praise for acting before any violence occurred. The case became a model for preemptive disruption of domestic terror plots through informant networks and interagency cooperation.
Primary Source Appendix
- U.S. Department of Justice press releases (October–November 2008)
- ATF investigative files and affidavits in U.S. v. Cowart and Schlesselman
- Federal court transcripts from plea hearings and sentencing (2010)
- Media coverage from The Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times, and USA Today (October 2008–March 2010)
- Reports on hate groups from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League
- FBI Domestic Terrorism Briefings on white supremacist threats during the 2008 election
- Secret Service testimony before Congress on candidate security during the 2008 campaign