There was quick mention of Michigan during Thursday night’s final presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
The President once again compared Michigan’s coronavirus pandemic lockdown to a “prison," just as he did in the first presidential debate.
“Take a look at what’s happening with your friend in Michigan, where her husband’s the only one allowed to do anything. It’s been like a prison,” Trump said during Thursday night’s round.
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The President is referring to Whitmer’s husband attempting to have his boat in the water for Memorial Day weekend saying, “I am the governor’s husband, will that help?” a statement the governor said was a failed attempt at a joke, which she did not find funny either. His boat was not put in the water that weekend.
As for the comment about Michigan being a prison, while the perception and attitude surrounding the governor’s shutdown orders did and still vary, no one was ever confined to their homes during the most strict orders. Essential workers, certain kinds of travel and essential shopping trips were allowed.
Here is what Trump said during the first presidential debate back in September:
“Pennsylvania, Michigan, and a couple of others, you gotta open these states up, it’s not fair, you’re talking about almost it’s like being in prison. And you look at what’s going on with divorce, look at what’s going on with alcoholism and drugs, it’s a very, very sad thing. And he’ll close down the whole country,” said Trump.
Read back: Fact-checking Biden-Trump debate claims about economy, Michigan
More fact checks from the final presidential debate:
Presidential Town Hall fact checks from the Trust Index:
First Presidential debate fact checks from the Trust Index: