The early meetings of the Michigan militia were attended by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols before they carried out the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which drew media attention to the organization.

[12] Olson published a press release blaming the Japanese for the bombing, supposedly in retaliation for a clandestine US-sponsored gas attack in the Tokyo subway system.

[14] Olson's opening statement included the following words:Not only does the Constitution specifically allow the formation of a Federal Army, it also recognizes the inherent right of the people to form militia.

Olson sought to regain his position as the leader of the MMC, but lost in July 1995 an electoral contest against Lynn Van Huizen, a US Army veteran who saw service in Vietnam.

"[20] According to scholar Mack Mariani, both Olson and Van Huizen – and leaders of the American militia movement in general – nonetheless share the view that "the American Republic is in such a deep state of crisis that average citizens must join the militia movement in order to defend themselves against an increasingly tyrannical government and out-of-control government agents.