Judge Andrew Napolitano said the actions of Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are comparable to the “fascists we fought against in World War II.”
Appearing on Thursday’s edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight, Napolitano ripped the overreach of Whitmer, who extended a stay-at-home order against the will of thousands of Michiganders who want to reopen their businesses and get back to work.
“The definition of a free state is one where the laws are written to uphold personal liberties,” Napolitano said. “The definition of a police state is one where the laws are written, legitimately or not, to uphold what the government wants. We are not gradually, all of a sudden, in a period of six weeks, going from a free state, which is happening in all 50 states, to a police state.”
“And the example you just cited in Michigan is violative, not just of Michigan law and the Michigan Constitution, but the United States Constitution as well. She can’t take his livelihood away from him because he spoke out against him. That’s what the fascists did that we fought against in World War II.”
Fox News host Tucker Carlson had highlighted the plight of 77-year-old barbershop owner Karl Manke who reopened his business against Whitmer’s lockdown order and was flanked by armed militia who promised to protect his business if police attempted to shut him down.
Napolitano discussed the Supreme Court of Wisconsin siding 4-3 with the State Legislature over Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who wanted to extend the state’s lockdown.
“People should say something about it,” he said. “Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin did when it said to the governor’s people, ‘you do not have the authority for the lockdown, only the legislature does.’ And the legislature has told us they don’t want it, and you cannot write your own laws and enforce the laws you have just written. That violates the Wisconsin constitution and, by the way, the American constitution, and therefore, the lockdown is ended.”
Napolitano also blasted the idea that U.S. citizens could be forced to turn over identification materials to buy liquor or visit a restaurant. He admonished Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee for instructing health officials in his state to collect the information of all restaurant patrons.
“He’s beginning to open up restaurants, but his health inspectors will tell the owners of those restaurants, ‘We need the name and address of everybody that’s in here, and if you don’t give it to us, we’ll take away your liquor license, or we’ll take away your license to own the restaurant,'” Napolitano said. “You have no obligation to give that to them whatsoever, you have no obligation to give them any credit information or any personal information about you, and the government has no right to collect that.”
