A Columbia, Tennessee man allegedly attempted to fly a drone packed with explosives into an energy facility before the FBI stopped him from destroying the critical infrastructure, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In a press release, the DOJ said 24-year-old Skyler Philippi was arrested and charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility.

“As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology – but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “This case serves as yet another warning to those seeking to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our country’s critical infrastructure: the Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will hold you accountable.”

The DOJ said Philippi told a confidential human source (CHS) in June, that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA in the Columbia, Tennessee area.

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Nearly a month later, he allegedly told another CHS that an attack on large interstate substations would “shock the system,” and cause other substations to malfunction.

According to the DOJ, Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations, ultimately concluding that just using firearms was not enough. Instead, he planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it, and then fly the drone into a substation.

In September, Philippi allegedly went to a substation with undercover FBI employees that he had previously researched and conducted reconnaissance on.

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Skylar Philippi met with FBI undercover employees in an open area near Franklin, Tennessee, to test fly a drone. (Department of Justice)

While on the way, Philippi allegedly ordered C-4 and other explosives from the undercover employees, then later purchased black powder to put into pipe bombs. The DOJ said Philippi intended to use the pipe bombs during the attack on the substation.

He also allegedly texted the confidential source, “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.”

Philippi allegedly discussed the need for disguises, leather gloves, wearing shoes that are too big and the need to burn their clothes after attacking the substation. He also allegedly told the crew to not bring smartphones on the night of the attack.

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On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi participated in a Nordic ritual and recited a Nordic prayer, the DOJ said.

“This is where the New Age begins,” Philippi reportedly told the undercover employees, adding it was time to do something big that would be remembered “in the annals of history.”

Philippi and the undercover employees drove to the site, and when they arrived, they moved to their assigned lookout positions before law enforcement agents arrested him.

The DOJ said Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle when he was arrested, where the drone was powered up. Next to the drone, the DOJ added, was an armed explosive.

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“Driven by a racially motivated violent extremist ideology, the Defendant planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage. We are committed to holding accountable anyone who threatens the security of our critical infrastructure or seeks to harm American communities through domestic violent extremism.”

Philippi was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, shared some political advice for Vice President Harris during a rally in Atlanta on Monday.

“Remember, her whole argument of her campaign is that she doesn’t even know who Joe Biden is, even though she’s the sitting vice president. And ‘The View’ host asked her, ‘What would you have done differently over the last four years? Would you have done anything differently than Joe Biden?’ And Kamala Harris says, ‘Nothing comes to mind,’” Vance said.

“The Harris-Walz slogan could be ‘Nothing comes to mind.’”

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Vance was referencing the vice president’s recent interview with ABC’s “The View” where she conceded she would not have done much differently than President Biden has during their administration so far.

Harris said during the sit-down last month, “There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of – and I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact, the work that we have done.”

The Trump campaign and its allies immediately pounced on the clip as proof of their warnings that Harris would continue Biden’s most unpopular progressive policies if she wins the White House after Election Day on Nov. 5.

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Trump allies have been working to tie Harris closely to President Biden’s unpopular policies.

Speaking to voters in deep-blue Atlanta the night before, Vance also used the quote to accuse Harris of a lack of clear policy positions.

“Think about this, Kamala. What would you do to fix the broken policies to make groceries and housing more affordable? ‘Nothing comes to mind.’ Kamala Harris, what would you do to secure that southern border? ‘Nothing comes to mind,’” Vance said. “That’s what Kamala Harris’s campaign slogan could be.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for a response.

Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have detailed policy platforms available on their websites. Harris’ says relatively little about the border, though she has shown support for the bipartisan border deal that collapsed against Republican opposition this year.

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More than 4 million people have already voted in Georgia. (Megan Varner/Washington Post)

Vance’s 11th-hour appeal to Georgia voters comes at the end of an election cycle where both campaigns poured enormous time and resources into the Peach State.

Biden won the traditionally red state by less than 1% in 2020. Democrats also made gains there in 2022, cementing its status as a key battleground.

More than 4 million Georgia voters have already cast ballots going into Election Day, roughly 55.5% of the state’s active voters.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is claiming that “voter suppression” is occurring in Georgia despite record turnout in the Peach State. 

During Friday’s installment of “CNN News Central,” co-anchor Kate Bolduan asked Abrams what she believes is driving the surge in early voting. 

“While we are excited about who is showing up, we have to understand that turnout does not mean there is not voter suppression activity,” Abrams replied. 

She suggested that one of the reasons for long early voting lines is because residents can no longer use the “easier” method of voting by mail. 

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“People who are disabled, people who have lost their homes are facing harder times casting their ballots, but they refuse to be silenced. What we are excited about is that here in the state of Georgia, despite the government making it harder to cast your ballot, people are willing to fight to make it happen anyway,” Abrams continued.

Senate Bill 202, which was adopted by the Georgia General assembly in 2021, made several changes to absentee ballots. Prior to its passage, signature verification was the primary means of checking voter identity, according to the Fulton County website.

Absentee ballots could also be requested up until the Friday before the election.

The new method stipulates that Georgia voters provide their Driver’s License number or other forms of voter ID and must request their ballot at least 11 days before the election.

“Once again, Stacey Abrams is lying about Georgia’s elections, and over three million voters who have already voted know not to take her seriously,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “She’s cost the state millions and it’s time for her to get real: Georgia has the leads the nation in voter accessibility and convenience and we run the most secure elections in the country.”

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Rural counties won by former President Trump in 2020 have so far outpaced blue strongholds in percentage of population voting early in the state of Georgia.  (Getty Images)

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Georgia voters have already shattered multiple turnout records, but that did little to temper Democratic critics of the new rules for the 2024 presidential cycle put in place by the state’s GOP officials.

“I was just in Georgia. You know they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote?” Vice President Kamala Harris told a rally crowd in Michigan earlier this week. “The hypocrisy abounds. Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor,’ right?”

Meanwhile, President Biden called Georgia’s election security laws “Jim Crow 2.0” in 2022.

Georgia’s Republican-majority legislature passed several laws since 2020 to increase security around the voting process after the Peach State was thrust under scrutiny in the previous presidential race.

Among them were measures to expand the ability to challenge voter eligibility, a rule limiting ballot drop boxes based on population size and, perhaps most notably, a measure forbidding political organizations from handing out food and drinks to voters waiting in line within a certain distance from a polling place.

Election workers are, however, permitted to set up self-serve water stations.

Editor’s Note: This piece has been updated with a quote from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.