LANSING, Mich. – Michigan politics have gone national over the past 24 hours, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer added more fuel to the fire Friday, blasting anyone not in lockstep with her policies, including state legislators and President Donald Trump.
UPDATE -- May 1, 2020: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 42,356; Death toll now at 3,866
Whitmer promised to pull out her veto pen and lay waste to the bills the legislature passed this week, and she’s declared her own state of emergency due to the continuing spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), daring Republicans to sue her.
A video shot by Local 4 at Thursday’s protest outside the House chamber went viral, notching more than 12 million views on Twitter.
Trump sided with the protesters, sending a tweet that said, “The governor of Michigan should give a little and put out the fire. These are very good people, but they are angry. They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal.”
Whitmer tweeted a Michelle Obama meme captioned, “Our motto is, ‘When they go low, we go high.’”
The governor also lashed out at the protesters, calling it a “disturbing scene” and saying people are “angry and restless.”
If they had automatic riles, that’s a felony and they could have been arrested.
Whitmer took on Trump and legislative Republicans during her coronavirus briefing Friday.
“It’s doesn’t feel like there is a plan,” Rep. Shane Hernandez (R-Port Huron) said. “That is the frustrating part.”
Hernandez took exception with Whitmer’s salvos, saying her approach is still one-size-fits-all and inconsistent.
“What is the difference between two people showing up to clean a swimming pool or open a swimming pool and two people showing up and mowing your law?” Hernandez asked. “Is one safe and the other not safe?”