President Trump took to Twitter on Friday morning to urge Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to speak with “angry” protesters and “make a deal.”
“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,” the President tweeted.
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In an apparent response to the President, Whitmer tweeted a Michelle Obama meme with the caption “Our motto is: When they go low we go high!”
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) May 1, 2020
Protesters, some of whom were armed, filled the Michigan state Capitol on Thursday demanding Michigan reopen. Michigan has been under a stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic since March 23. The state of emergency first went into effect on March 10 when Michigan first announced confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Directly above me, men with rifles yelling at us. Some of my colleagues who own bullet proof vests are wearing them. I have never appreciated our Sergeants-at-Arms more than today. #mileg pic.twitter.com/voOZpPYWOs
— Senator Dayna Polehanki (@SenPolehanki) April 30, 2020
There was heated debate among Michigan Legislatures all day on what to do with the governor’s request to extend the State of Emergency another 28 days before it expired at midnight. The Republican-led Legislature refused to extend the declaration.
Whitmer ended up extending it through May 28. She also extended the State of Disaster through May 28. Meanwhile, her stay-at-home order remains in effect through May 15.
The Legislature is now suing Whitmer. At issue: Can the governor continue issuing emergency executive orders without approval from the Legislature? She says yes, they say no.