A Democratic Michigan state lawmaker slammed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after party officials reportedly plan to censure her for meeting with President Trump.
During a Friday appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Democratic Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett blasted Whitmer for attempting to “silence” her after thanking the president for touting hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, as a coronavirus treatment that she claimed saved her life.
“Why they would expel me is beyond words for me. This is something that I did not expect. I started out with a simple ‘thank you’ to the man who is the president of the United States. It’s a thank you. I didn’t know that ‘thank you’ had a political line,” said Whitsett.
“Did the governor call you and say, ‘I’m so glad you didn’t die? Welcome back to the living? Congratulations?'” Carlson asked Whitsett.
“Actually, it was not as pleasant as that … I’m not going to stand by and be quiet, nor will I be silenced by anyone when it comes to the people in my community. I don’t care who it is,” Whitsett said. “If you’re not doing right by us, if you’re not doing right by black people within our community, I’m going to stand up, and I don’t care who it is. I’m going to stand up against you.”
Whitsett said her firsthand interactions with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence lead her to believe the administration is attempting to distribute necessary resources to communities in need, including hers, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I know the shock and awe on their face when they heard that we were not getting the things that we needed and deserved in the city of Detroit,” Whitsett continued, saying those who move to censure her are in cooperation with the governor of her state.
Whitmer has been repeatedly criticized for her handling of the coronavirus in Michigan. Police officers within her own state chided Whitmer for using her executive authority during the coronavirus pandemic to ban the sale of nonessential goods, including paint, car seats, and gardening equipment. Others have protested Whitmer’s social distancing executive orders, which include a ban on travel between residences.
