Michele Fiore, who lent her support earlier this year to militants occupying an Oregon wildlife refuge, said armed confrontations with the government were an acceptable response in some circumstances, reported the Las Vegas Sun.

"If the government is going to point a gun at me, I'm going to point one right back," Fiore said. "If you're going to shoot me, I'm going to shoot you back."

Fiore defended the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Preserve by a group of armed militants who were attempting to undo government ownership of public land, saying the armed group's actions were completely lawful.

"It was abandoned," she said. "No one was there, so they basically kind of said, 'This is a great place to camp and make our statement.'"

The government, however, disagrees. Federal prosecutors have charged 26 of the militants in connection with the occupation, and some of them are charged in a 2014 standoff with federal agents at a Nevada ranch owned by Cliven Bundy — another Fiore friend who faces numerous charges.