MUSKEGON, Mich. – President Donald Trump took aim at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer when he visited Michigan Saturday.
Both Whitmer and the White House are accusing the other of inciting violence.
Whitmer appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press" Sunday morning and claimed the president has responsibility in the domestic terrorism plot against her while having a visible pin that read “8645.”
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Supporters of the president took 86-45 as an incitement of violence against the 45th president. The use of 86 is typically used in food service as a means to communicate an item or ingredient is out of stock, or to refuse service to a customer who has become unruly or had too much to drink.
“You’ve got to get your governor to open up your state," Trump said at Saturday’s rally.
Michigan has been navigating the COVID-19 pandemic without Whitmer’s Emergency Orders since Oct. 12.
Whitmer and Trump have frequently sparred words over the past few months. After the terrorism plot against kidnapping or assassinating Whitmer was exposed, the governor said Trumps words enabled and encouraged violence. Federal prosecutors said the plot was in response to Whitmer’s COVID-19 executive orders and was in motion before Trump tweeted “Liberate Michigan.”
The FBI arrested multiple Michigan men this month who they claim were plotting to kidnap or kill Whitmer.
“The president is at it again and inspiring and incentivizing and inciting this kind of domestic terrorism,” Whitmer said. “It is wrong. It’s got to end. It is dangerous, not just for me and my family, but for public servants everywhere who are doing their jobs and trying to protect their fellow Americans. People of good will on both sides of the aisle need to step up and call this out and bring the heat down.”
MORE: Watch: Michigan governor weighs in on domestic terror plot, recent surge in COVID-19 cases
Speaker of the Michigan House Lee Chatfield said the “8645” pin encouraged more hate. He posted on Twitter that the chants of “Lock her up” Saturday night were wrong and said both sides should “debate differences," be civil and treat each other with respect.
Ivanka Trump will campaign on behalf of her father Monday and Dr. Jill Biden will be in Michigan to campaign Tuesday.